


Dishonorable Debauchery

by MrCynical



Series: Emily Kaldwin the Kinky [1]
Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Adding Non-Con tag to be safe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Angry Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Aphrodisiacs, Asphyxiation, Attempted Brainwashing, Attempted Murder, Bisexual Female Character, Blow Jobs, Bondage, Breast Expansion, Canon-Typical Violence, Clone Sex, Clothed Sex, Consensual Mind Control, Costume Kink, Creampie, Cunnilingus, Desk Sex, Dishonored 2, Dishonored 2 but with added bits, Dishonored: The Corroded Man is somewhat canon here, Doggy Style, Dom/sub, Double Penetration, Dream Sex, Drugged Sex, Drunk Sex, Drunken Confessions, Dubious Consent, Emily is a bit insane, Exhibitionism, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Face-Fucking, Facials, Female!Wyman, Finger Sucking, First Time, Flashbacks, Hate Sex, Hypnotism, I assume magic dildos count for that, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jindosh is a prick, Just a tiny bit of that, Kleptomaniac Emily, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Sex, Lesbianism, Licking, Light Dom/sub, Low Chaos Emily Kaldwin, Mind Control, Namely kinky sex, Nipple Licking, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Only one chapter of that I promise, Oral Sex, Orgasm Denial, Partial Mind Control, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Polygamy, Possibly OOC, Power Dynamics, Probably Some Continuity Errors, Public Masturbation, Rape Fantasy, Reunion Sex, Reunions, Rough Sex, Scissoring, Self-cest, Semi-Canon Compliant, Semi-Public Sex, Sex Magic, Sex Pollen, Sexual Roleplay, Spanking, Strap-Ons, Strap-on blowjob, Tentacle Sex, That one applies for almost every chapter actually, Therapy Sex, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Vaginal Fingering, Verbal Humiliation, Voyeurism, Wet Dream, massive spoilers, what the fuck are these tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2018-10-06 09:08:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 87,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10331249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrCynical/pseuds/MrCynical
Summary: Within the Void, the Outsider and those with the fortitude to comprehend it without going mad can witness every possibility in the multiverse, from minute differences such as different weather formations in a day, to drastic changes like Jessamine Kaldwin surviving her assassination attempt. In one such timeline, Emily Kaldwin's quest to bring down Duke Abele and retake her throne from the tyranny of Delilah Copperspoon ended up being much more sexually charged and provocative than most others. This is the story of that timeline.AKA Dishonored 2's main low-chaos, no-kill Emily story but with porn, romance, and other differences. :PFormerly known as "The Kinky Adventures of Emily Kaldwin".As of 11/7/17, all chapters have been fully edited for plot consistency and spelling/grammar!





	1. Index

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the index, to help those who came here for specific tags and don't want to root through the entire story just to find what they're looking for.

A Day To Remember - No smut, just a story set-up chapter.

A Long Night In Dunwall - Lesbianism, lesbian romance, cunnilingus, humiliation, semi-unintentional exhibitionism, unintentional/noncon voyeurism, desk sex.

Edge Of A Bold New World - Imagined male-on-female, female masturbation, public masturbation, rape fantasy, exhibitionism, imagined blowjob/spitroast.

A Cure For The Crown (Killer) - Lesbianism, clone sex (Grim Alex on Emily Doppelganger), noncon, bondage, groping, unintentional voyeurism, nipple licking, dual sided strap-ons, asphyxiation.

(Wet) Dreams Of The Void - Lesbianism, dream sex/wet dream, lesbian romance, light dom/sub, nipple licking, vaginal fingering, scissoring, therapy/comfort sex, finger licking, 69-ing.

Minds Like Clockwork Part 1- Nothing but plot and comedy.

Minds Like Clockwork Part 2- Lesbianism, clone sex/self-cest (Emily on Doppelganger), cunnilingus, aphrodisiacs/sex pollen, female masturbation, sexually explicit memories, angry wanking, noncon voyeurism, self-groping, naked fighting.

Shadow Walks and Small Talks- More story.

A Royal Exhibit- Tentacles (vines) on female, dubious consent, bondage, humiliation, semi-public sex, hate sex, vaginal sex, oral sex, attempted brainwashing, clothing destruction, noncon voyeurism.

Doctor/Patient Relations- Lesbianism, lesbian romance, implied female-on-male and female-on-female rape, comfort sex, drunk sex, younger woman on middle aged woman (Emily 25, Hypatia 40s), bra-lessness, dual sided strap-ons, vaginal penetration, strap-on blowjob, referenced promiscuity, unintentional voyeurism, unintentional exhibitionism. 

Silver Dust Woman- Male on female, vaginal sex, creampies, blowjobs, costume kink, one-sided role play, spanking (kind of?), humiliation, exhibitionism, non-consensual drug use, facials, minor breast expansion.

Running Out Of Time- Minor sexual fantasizing by Emily, but other than that, nothing but story.

Fights, Bites, and Birthrights - Lesbianism, lesbian romance, loose role play, references to submale/femdom but no actual content of it, sexual biting, vaginal fingering, light/mild dom/sub, cunnilingus.

Grand Time At The Palace- First time anal, double penetration, rough sex, face-fucking, doggy style, magic dildos,  ~~~~half-clothed (bottomless).

From Another's Eye- Nudity, implied masturbation, and overheard sex, but nothing explicit.

Answers- Nudity, no actual sex.

Calm Before The Storm- Lesbianism, mild dom/sub, orgasm denial, teasing, lesbian romance, implied dubcon/coerced male-on-lesbian, reunion sex.

Regicide- No sex, canon-typical gore.

Heretical Harlotry- Consensual mind control, hypnotism, blowjobs, tittyfuck, face fuck, cock worship, lap dance, cowgirl position/riding, vaginal, pressure points, light humiliation play, light biting.

Changing of the Guard- No smut, just story.


	2. A Day To Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily wakes up after the events of the throne room and makes her escape from Dunwall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah. I was bored, so I decided to write some pure story chapters for this thing to help flesh it out a bit. If you're just here for smut, don't worry, there'll be plenty of that around. But there'll also be story chapters to keep things fresh. This was written quite a bit after A Long Night In Dunwall and Wet Dreams of the Void, so you'll probably notice some differences in continuity. Feel free to point them out and I'll rewrite them accordingly.

Emily grumbled to herself, grabbing her head as she pulled herself to her feet. She massaged her pounding head in a vain attempt to help ease the horrible headache she was feeling. It felt like somebody had punched her in the face. _“What happened last night… wait! The throne room… Alexi… Father!”_ She thought as flashes of the event from mere hours ago returned to her mind. She leaned on her desk for support as she pulled herself up, looking over the papers on her desk. Plans for the anniversary, launching off a ship… it had all seemed so important before this. She shook her head, looking around the room. _“There’s no point in staying in here. I need to get out of Dunwall.”_

She stumbled over to the window in front of the door, pushing it open and climbing through. The familiar smell of Dunwall hit her, the stench of whale oil and saltwater that she had known all her life. _“How many times have I looked at that skyline?”_ She mused, sliding along the wall until she found another open window. As she climbed inside, she was greeted by a bloodbath. Dead bodies of guards and their blood littered the room, another gift of Delilah’s, presumably. Emily’s eyes scanned the room, until she noticed the bleeding woman in red near the Imperial Safe Room.

 “Alexi!” She gasped out, running towards her longtime friend. The captain looked up at her, a relieved look spreading on her face as she saw the empress alive, if not well.

 “Lady Emily… where’s the royal protector?”  

“He’s been… imprisoned, for lack of a better word. There’s a coup underway.” As Emily looked over Alexi, she couldn’t help but feel tears starting to form. While the stab might have been nonlethal if she’d been taken to a doctor quickly, after all these hours, she’d almost certainly bleed out soon. She took her friend's hand, hating how cold it felt against hers. Years prior, Alexi had been her first crush since that day Mayhew had saved their lives from a group of Regenters. She’d admitted it to her friend when she was 19 after she’d had a few too many glasses of Tyvian wine. She’d been heartbroken when Alexi turned her down as politely as possible by informing the empress that she was straight, but they’d continued their friendship regardless. Seeing the woman she’d been such close friends with on the brink of death almost proved too much for her.

 “You have to get out of Dunwall. There was a captain… by the docks… Captain Foster. Find her and leave the city…” She said, grabbing the very sword that had ended her life, Corvo’s sword, and giving it to Emily.

 With that final attempt to help the empress, Captain Alexi Mayhew died. “Goodbye, Alexi.” She whispered out. She held her father’s blade tightly in her hands. She heard the shuffling of feet just down the hall, making her drop to a crouch. As she entered the doorway leading into the next room, she spotted a guard reading from the opened book on the pedestal in front of him. Clearly, this was the guard stationed to keep her locked up. _“He helped Delilah and the Duke take over. He deserves to die.”_ She approached from behind, preparing to slice his throat. Just as she was about to kill him, she stilled her blade. _“No. He might deserve death, but if I kill him, could I stop myself from killing everyone else involved? Even then, could I stop at people directly involved with the coup?”_

Instead, she lowered her blade and took him into a strangle hold. He let out a startled gasp, reaching for his sword, but fell unconscious before he could grab it. Sparing him didn’t mean she had to treat him well, as she carried him and tossed him roughly into the corner. _“After this is all over, I’ll round up every traitor and have them rot in Coldridge. Let’s see how they enjoy being locked up.”_

Spotting another one of Ramsey’s men, she picked up a glass from a nearby table, aiming it at his head and tossing it with full force. It shattered against his skull, the man collapsing to the ground a second later. Emily couldn’t help but grin at the satisfying _thunk_ sound he made as he landed. “It’s surprising how effective that is,” She muttered to herself before walking down the stairs, frowning at the body of one of the servants, an older woman with brown hair. She knelt down for a moment, closing the body’s eyes before continuing. There wouldn’t be any reasonable way to do this for every body in the tower, but she’d do it where she could. As she walked towards the throne room, Ramsey’s voice became audible. The empress grabbed a bottle from another table as she got to the door.

“-order of things is being restored. The Ramseys hosted the king and queen of Morley, you know. I spent my childhood playing with-” Before he could finish, a bottle of wine flew through the air, hitting one of the guards right in the side of the head and knocking him out. Mortimer spun around to the origin of the bottle just in time to see Emily sprinting towards him, dropping to a slide and just missing him. At least, he thought she missed, until he saw her knock the other guard’s legs out from under him and punch him hard in the face, passing out quickly. He drew his sword and backed away from her. “Emily Kaldwin? Your time as the empress is over!” He taunted, sidestepping a stab at him.

 “As long as I’m alive, I’ll be the empress, even despite your coup. I’ve faced a lot worse than you!”

He raised his sword and slammed down, but Emily deflected it, trying to kick him in the stomach to distract him. It connected, but he grabbed her leg as he staggered, pulling her to the ground. He stomped on her ankle to keep her from rolling and went to stab her in the chest. Emily quickly folded the blade and extended it again, trapping Ramsey’s sword. Then she kicked him with her other leg, forcing him to stumble and giving Emily enough time to move out of the way as she folded the blade again, leaving Ramsey’s sword in the middle of the room. She got back on her feet at the same time Mortimer did, dodged a punch from him and in the heat of the moment stabbed him in the gut.

Suddenly, all she could see was her mother getting stabbed by the man in red in the same way. Right in the gut, right side of the torso. She froze as the trauma of her past flashed before her. Ramsey however had no such hesitation as he gave her an uppercut, the cheap shot sending her tumbling back. He pulled the sword out of him with a grown, the thing coated with his own blood as well as Alexi’s. He staggered towards the dazed Emily, the woman coming back to her senses just in time to avoid getting stabbed. Rolling to the left, she found his discarded sword and grabbed it before stabbing his hand. He let out a yell of pain as she got to her feet and punched him in the throat, knocking the air out of him As he fell to the ground before Emily kicked him in the side of the head, making him still. She panted as she recovered her blade, feeling for a pulse on the former watch captain.

He was still alive, but heavily injured. Sighing heavily, she pulled him over her shoulder and dragged him back towards the Safe Room. Before she left the throne room, however, she looked to her father, still frozen in stone. "I'll free you, father. I promise." She whispered to the statue before continuing to haul Mortimer up to the Safe Room.  _“Just what you wanted, Ramsey. A stay in the Imperial Sweet.”_ She thought bitterly, tossing the man down outside the door to reclaim her signet ring before unlocking the door. _“Anton Sokolov made this lock. Hopefully he’s okay.”_

She dragged him in, dropping him on the ground. She went over to the counter running along the exit wall, grabbing the S&P elixir and removing the cap. She’d used many a vial in her time training with Corvo to deal with the consequences of misjudged jumps or accidents during sparring matches. She poured the vial into the stab wound, not particularly caring if it would feel painful when he woke up. “When this is all over, I’ll know just where to find you, Ramsey. Let’s see how confident you are when you’re rotting in a cell.” She mocked. As childish as it may have been, she flipped his unconscious form off before searching the room for supplies. First she checked the bedroom area, collecting personal mementos like Wyman’s most recent letter to her, her journal, and an old carving Samuel had made for her back during the days of Corvo working for the “Loyalists” that tried to kill him. She sighed as she slipped the carving into her goat’s pocket. _“What would he think of this, me being driven out of Dunwall Tower?”_

Next, she went to the reserves at the end of the room. While most of the gold was too heavy to carry, she did pick up a gold bar. Having spare money might prove useful. She looked at the statue of her mother, recovered from the old bank in the former Flooded District. She put her hand to it, bowing her head. “What I wouldn’t give to have your guidance right now…”

Lastly, she returned to the counter, picking up a pistol and looking glass from a display case. While she still had no intention of killing, having it as a deterrent might prove useful. Holstering the pistol and sword, she gave the room she’d spent so many nights in one last look before she opened the door, leaving Dunwall Tower behind.

***

Emily stepped out into the dark hallway that lead to the rooftops of Dunwall. It was a familiar path, considering she’s run along these very rooftops so many times. This would be the first time she was doing it out of necessity, however. _“I should find that captain that Alexi mentioned. It looks like that’s her ship by the docks.”_ She jumped down from rooftop to rooftop, dropping on another traitorous guard to break her fall as she got near the street. Noticing a rather large group of guards, Emily stuck to the shadows, slinking past them. As soon as she could, she slipped into an alley, away from the heavily guarded streets. As she walked down the alley, she began to hear yelling from the Dunwall Courier. She stopped, turning towards it. _“If I ignore it, I’ll have a clear shot at getting to the captain. But whoever’s yelling might get killed…”_ She thought to herself before sighing and walking towards the side-door of the building. As if she could knowingly let one of her citizens die. She quietly slipped inside, going up the stairs as the yelling grew louder. She picked up the pace, taking three stairs at a time. Finally, she reached the room where the voice originated.

“You can’t do this! Please, just leave!” A man called out.

“The Duke declared we were to take the city by any means necessary. If I deem taking your food necessary, I can do this. Am I going to have to kill you for resisting the new empress?” A burly guard gruffed out, raising his sword against who she presumed to be a journalist. He didn’t get the chance to do anything more as a glass slammed into his face, knocking him out cold. _“I’m getting pretty good at that.”_ She mused silently as she approached the journalist who turned to face her.

“Lady Emily? I-thank you, for saving my life. I… I apologize for printing the name ‘The Crown Killer’. It was… irresponsible, to say the least.” He said, hanging his head.

“All is forgiven. There’s a coup underway, it’s not safe here. Get somewhere safe, the Duke’s men are killing anyone they think sympathise with me.” She responded, picking up the knocked out guard and bringing him outside.

“Good luck, Lady Emily! I’ll record what’s going on here in Dunwall.” He called out, returning to his desk. Emily dumped the homicidal thief in a dumpster in the alley before returning to a crouch. As she rounded the corner, she heard the familiar crackle of static as the city intercom system started up.

“Attention Dunwall citizens,” It droned, “The former Empress, Emily Kaldwin, is now a fugitive of the state. She is wanted for the infamous Crown Killer murders, and providing aid or shelter to her with be punishable by death or a fine and incarceration. Any information that leads to her capture will be rewarded substantially, as will capturing her and turning her into the proper authorities.”

Emily huffed in annoyance. _“Great, now every ambitious bounty hunter in the Empire will be after me.”_

She leaned over, looking down the street to find another group of guards blocking her way. She leaned back before they saw her. _“Now where am I supposed to go? Wait… maybe if I go back a bit and fire my pistol, I can sneak past when they come to investigate.”_ She thought. Creeping back a few streets, she pulled out her pistol, aimed in straight up, and pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang out, and even from here she could hear the startled yells of the guards blocking off the street. Returning to the alley quickly, she waited for the last of the stragglers to investigate before running across the street, sliding into the shadows once more. She continued like that until she reached the dock, sneaking past some oblivious guards and stepping into some high-class pub. When she entered, everyone turned, seeing the former empress turned fugitive. She quickly rushed past them, sliding out the back entrance before anyone could try to stop her.

She slipped past a couple of Hatters scheming, the pair talking about setting up black market shops in Dunwall to profit off the coup. _“Ah, the Hatters. Will they ever find something they won’t try to make a profit from?”_

Finally, she found herself by the docks. With nowhere else to turn that wouldn’t get her spotted, she dove into the water, taking long, powerful strides to stay under the water and avoid the hagfish as she swam towards the boat. She gasped for air as she came back up, climbing the ship’s hull until she was on the deck. She flopped down on the deck, thoroughly exhausted from the day’s events.

“Eventful day, Lady Emily?” She heard a monotone voice say casually, spurring Emily to her feet. She saw a tall, dark-skinned woman who seemed to be missing an arm and an eye leaning against a door. Looking her in her functional eye, the exhausted woman replied.

“You could say that. I take it you're Captain Foster?”

“I am. I’m a friend of Anton Sokolov. We learned about something bad down south and came to Dunwall to warn the Royal Protector. Seems we were too late.” Foster sighed, standing up straight. “But maybe we could still fix this. I’m going to return to Karnaca, and I’m assuming you want to come along. Are you ready?”

Emily nodded. “I am. Let’s get out of Dunwall.”

***

Emily stirred, rising from her cot aboard the Dreadful Wale. She shook her head, trying to shake off the drowsiness of sleep. _“That dream felt so real… but there’s no way it could have been real. The Void’s just a legend, afterall-WAIT THE MARK’S STILL THERE?!”_ She tossed back as she saw her left hand, the fabled Mark of the Outsider still emblazoned on her hand. _“Wait, maybe I’m still asleep.”_ She looked at both ends of the room to make sure neither disappeared. She tentatively opened her cabin door, peering outside. Still just the ship. Lastly, she closed her eyes and pinched her marked hand. She felt it, opened her eyes, but the mark was still there. _“The Outsider, the Void... it’s all real!”_ Her eyes widened at the realization. She had seen what people like Delilah and Daud were capable of, such as turning her father to stone, but she wasn’t sure how they did it until now, believing stories of the Void to be made up. Her father had moved faster than seemed possible, but she’d thought that was just skill. If the Outsider was telling the truth in her ‘dream’, her father was marked as well. As the initial shock wore off, she continued to stare at the obscene symbol. _“I can’t go around with the Mark of the Outsider in full view of everyone. I might be able to mask myself while I’m here, but once I reclaim the throne, the Abbey will have a meltdown if they see this mark on my hand. I need to cover this up somehow.”_

Looking around, she found a bit of spare purple cloth, wrapping it around her left hand until the mark was completely covered. She relaxed slightly. She squeezed the marked hand, and she saw the mark even through the cloth, glowing a bright blue. Flicking her finger up, a black tendril shot forward and grabbed the journal on her desk, flinging it at her, She caught it in mid-air, and experimented with the magic again, pulling a pen towards her. Then, she began writing in the book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know how you enjoyed this more story based chapter! There will be story chapters for Edge Of The World, The Good Doctor, and The Clockwork Mansion soon(ish).


	3. A Long Night In Dunwall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set before Dishonored 2. Inspired by the letter on Emily's desk during Edge Of The World. 
> 
> It's been a hard week for Emily Kaldwin after having to introduce rationing regulations for whale oil, the political fallout from it, and the Hatter gang starting to make moves again. After Wyman visits Emily in her office, she decides to cheer the empress up. From under the desk while a watchman's giving Emily a report, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the original story, A Long Night In Dunwall. The chapters after this were stories that were going to be separate but I decided to meld into this one.

_Six months earlier..._

Emily Kaldwin slumped back in her chair with a sigh, poring over the numerous reports, treaties, and pre-written speeches. It had been a long week for her, with operations to deal with the increasingly slowed production of whale oil leading to rationing it and the subsequent fallout taking up much of her time. The recent resurgence of the Hatter gang didn’t help matters. She’d been trying to think of solutions to the problems facing Dunwall and the Empire that would happen quick enough to matter, but none that didn’t end with the same sort of tyranny her father had risked his life to oppose. Emily was ripped from her thoughts when there was a knock on the door to her office.  
  
“Empress Kaldwin, you have a visitor. The princess of Morley. Shall I let her in?” A guard asked. Normally, Corvo would be standing guard, but serving as both the Royal Spymaster and Lord Protector often led to having to assign a temporary bodyguard when more delicate events were underway.  
  
“Yes, thank you.” The empress replied, managing to conceal a smile.  
  
The door opened, and in walked Princess Sophie Wyman Durand of Morley, the guard closing the door behind her and returning to his post at the end of the hall. She was dressed in the typical wears of Morlish royalty, donning a frilly purple suit made of silk with white laces, and matching trousers, shoes, and gloves. Her brunette hair was tied into a bun in the back, braids tied around it. As custom for royalty, she held herself in a regal, respectful manner.  
  
Neither Emily nor Wyman dropped their royal façade until the footsteps were too quiet to hear. It simply wouldn’t do for the public, or Void forbid, the Abbey, to find out that the Empress was not only bisexual, but in a hot-n-heavy relationship with the future heiress of Morley. When they were sure he was gone, they grinned.  
  
“Wyman! It’s great to see you again! This week’s been a nightmare.” Emily greeted happily.  
  
“You too! But what seems to be the problem?” Wyman inquired, speaking with her usually suppressed Morlish accent, grin fading.  
  
“Everything. Whales are becoming harder and harder to find, which means less whale oil is being produced. So now that I’ve introduced rationing it to make it last, I’m the easy target to blame for the scarcity.” Emily stood up, walking towards Wyman.  
  
“The Hatter gang is acting up again, which means I can look forward to gang wars in the streets. Lastly, Corvo’s been out thanks to something going on in the Distillery District. Anything for you? You mentioned being sent to Serkonos.”  
  
Wyman’s smile morphed into a slight sneer upon being reminded of the trip. “Yeah. Duke Abele requested that my father meet with him to discuss trade between Morley and Serkonos. He’s a slimy son of a bitch, tried to play me for a fool with a bad deal, and then had the gull to be offended when I refused. If he didn’t have the monopoly on silver, I’d have knocked him out,” the princess huffed.  
  
“Sounds like it has been rough for both of us,” Emily sighed. At this, Wyman came in close.  
  
“Maybe I can make both of us feel better~” She said in a low whisper, a naughty smile spreading on her face as she wrapped her arms around Emily’s hips and squeezed her ass lightly before leaning forward and pressing her lips against Kaldwin’s, tongue slipping past them.  
  
Within half a second, the composed, confident, and well-spoken Empress Kaldwin disappeared, and the extremely embarrassed and aroused Emily Kaldwin took her place, brain short-circuiting with the sudden act. Once Wyman pulled away, she desperately tried to compose herself.  
  
“O-oh! Um, yes, t-that would be… incredible.” She squeaked out, face bright red with her blush and sporting a dumbed smile. She fumbled with her belt several times before managing to get it off, the pants falling to her ankle to reveal a black silk thong, with a barely visible stain on the front.  
  
“Someone’s excited,” Wyman quipped wryly. “Get back in the chair.”  
  
Emily complied, treating her girlfriend a view of her barely covered rear with a slight bounce as she walked, putting her pants under her desk.  
  
Once at the desk, Emily sat in her chair with her legs spread wide, Wyman under the desk. She teased her for a minute, tracing patterns around her slit and clit with her fingers before slowly pulling down the empress’s panties, being greeted by her glistening vagina. She started by leaving a trail of kisses from her navel down, stopping on her clit and sucking on it for a moment, savoring the taste.  
  
Emily squealed in delight, regretting how loud she was being. She covered her mouth with one hand, the other softly grooming through the brunette woman’s hair and gently pushing her towards her desperate pussy. Wyman obliged, releasing her clit and moving her tongue around its edge, lapping up the juices merrily.  
  
However, then they heard approaching footsteps. Kaldwin quickly realized that she never locked the door, nor did she instruct the guard to not let anyone else in. Wyman stopped, figuring it out soon after. While she was hidden, her effect on Emily was quite visible. Emily rushed to look as “normal” as possible, considering the situation she was in. By the time the visitor reached the door, she had both hands on the desk, pretending to read the papers currently littering it.  
  
The man who walked in was a somewhat short blond-haired man in a watchman’s uniform, looking quite nervous but trying to remain composed.  
  
“Your highness, I apologize deeply for interrupting your study, but I have an urgent report from Sergeant Riverwood.” The man said quickly, trying to put on a confident voice.  
  
Emily looked incredibly frazzled right now, with her hair slightly out of shape and looking a bit flushed, though she could pass that off as having been working hard and not from her getting eaten out. She looked at him more directly, nodding her head.  
  
“What’s your rank and name?” Emily asked, regaining her breath.  
  
“Constable Olney, your highness.”  
  
“You’re forgiven, constable. What is the report?” By now, she was completely back into empress mode.  
  
“I’m afraid I have unfortunate news about a developing conflict by the docks.” He replied.  
  
At this, Emily slumped slightly, displeasing Wyman. The last thing the empress needed was more bad news. She refused to let Emily have to feel the weight of even more problems, nor let all her hard work of getting her so flustered go to waste.  
  
“Very well, constable. Please con-“ She was interrupted as a finger stroked her clitoris. She gasped, going slightly red, but persevered. “C-continue.”  
  
The Morlish girl continued, moving her finger around Emily’s inner walls and stroking them softly. She looked up to see Emily looking at her, half turned on and half mortified that she was getting fucked in front of one of her watchmen. Wyman grinned, putting a finger to her mouth to make the horny empress not make a scene. Despite being naked from the waist down and having her needy cunt lapped at, Emily tried to focus to the report.  
  
“I’m sure you’re aware of the… unfortunate response to your recent decree regarding the usage of whale oil. The nobility are displeased, to say the least, harassing watchmen for informing them that they are breaking the law with excess use of whale oil. Well, this has led to some members cutting off their support for you, and they’re demanding you cancel the decree, or they will pull their funding from the Watch.” Constable Olney practically sighed out, clearly not pleased with the turn of events either.  
  
Emily’s brow furrowed. Despite being officially funded by the Empire, the Watch in Dunwall was mostly funded by wealthy aristocrats in exchange for being able to use watchmen as private security. Despite all the progress Dunwall had made since her ascension to power, some of the oldest and deepest layers of corruption remained. Of course, she lightened up a bit when she felt Wyman’s finger being replaced with her tongue roaming around inside of her. She was having to bite her lip and squeeze her desk to keep from whimpering and screaming out from the pleasure.  
  
“There’s simply not enough whale o-oil for them to waste on parties. If need be, we’ll draw from the reserve to fund the Watch, this is too important to let the Boyles dictate,” She said firmly, despite accidentally letting out a soft coo when Wyman backed up for a second, letting the cool air wash over Emily’s heated body. She wasn’t sure how visible her blush was, or if the watchman was simply too polite (or afraid) to bring it up. She nodded, silently telling him to continue.  
  
“Unfortunately, there’s another problem: the Hatters broke into one of the Butchershops, and have about a fourth of the oil left in the city with them.”  
  
While he said this, Wyman returned to Emily’s clit, licking it and softly grazing it against her teeth.  
  
“Oh, fuck me…” Emily muttered under her breath, half from Wyman’s naughtiness, and half from the annoyance at the news. However, the constable almost certainly heard that, based on how he flinched for a moment, causing Emily to grimace.  
  
“My apologies, it’s just… unfortunate to hear,” Emily elaborated, hoping it sounded sincere. “Is there anything else?”  
  
“U-understood, your majesty, and the final part is that we’ve received some reports that the Bottlestreet gang is engaging the Hatters, probably trying to take the oil for themselves.” Constable Olney finished, looking seemingly anywhere but her eyes. Had he figured out what they were doing?  
  
_“I suppose that explains what Father had been called for,”_ She pieced together in her thoughts. She nodded.  
  
“Thank you, Constable. You may return to your post.”  
  
The watchman nodded and left wordlessly and quickly, and once the door was closed, Emily’s blush returned with a vengeance as she looked down at the princess currently nibbling at her pubic hair happily while rubbing her inner thighs.  
  
“By the Void, Wyman, were you trying to get us caught?!” Emily hissed, but chuckling nervously despite herself. “That was so humiliating!”  
  
Wyman grinned up at her, Emily’s juices still dripping from her chin.  
  
“I can tell, this is the wettest I’ve ever seen you! Who would have thought that innocent little Empress Emily Kaldwin was into humiliation AND exhibitionism? What a slattern you are~” She countered, playing on Emily’s kinks.  
  
Emily couldn’t deny that this is the most aroused she’s ever been. She loved being humiliated by Wyman, being called dirty words and demeaning herself. After all, when her daily life is having incredibly large amounts of power, control, responsibilities, and an unearned amount respect from everyone, being powerless and disrespected feels so different and good. She hadn’t thought she was an exhibitionist, though she supposed it tied in with the former pretty well. It seems her face was reflecting her thoughts, as Wyman continued.  
  
“If you got this wet with just a watchman being here, I’d love to see you like this at something bigger. Maybe I could finger your pussy under the table at a grand dinner with the nobles,” She purred, slipping her fingers inside Emily and stroking her from the inside. “Or perhaps have you do an announcement over the intercom, completely naked while I play with your tits and ass.” With her other hand, she was squeezing Emily’s rear cheeks and running a finger down her crack, teasing her relentlessly.  
  
Emily was lost in a haze of pleasure, panting heavily and grasping Wyman’s hair tightly, nearing the edge as she started fondling her breasts with her spare hand. She hadn’t felt this good in weeks!  
  
Wyman could feel how close she was, and went in for the kill. “Hmm. You like those ideas, don’t you whore?” Emily nodded vigorously. “Of course you would. I think at the next Imperial Address, I’ll have you do the speech without a bra or panties on, and one of those Joplin vibrators up your snatch going full blast. Everyone in the Empire would get to see what a dirty little trollop you are~” And with that, she stuck her tongue deep into Emily’s sopping minge and took in her clit.  
  
This finally pushed Emily over the edge, quickly slamming a hand over her mouth to muffle her cry of ecstasy, her vagina clenching around Wyman’s tongue and squirting once, twice, three times into the princess’s face, as she desperately licked as much as she could to enjoy the reward of her hard work. By the time Emily was done, she was once again slumped back in her chair, looking down at Wyman with a smile while panting. She returned the look, though whether the remnants of Emily’s cum made it more or less sincere she couldn’t tell. She got up and leaned in to kiss the empress, hugging her while doing so. When she pulled back from the kiss, Emily spoke.  
  
“I needed that so much. Thank you.” Emily’s smile turned into a lewd one. “How about I return the favor?”  
  
It was Wyman’s turn to turn red, though she kept her composure more.  
  
“That would be lovely. Though perhaps we should do so somewhere more private? I think we’ll need a bed.” She stood up straight, handing Emily her panties and pants before they moved to her Secret Chambers.

 

 

 

***

_One Week After The Coup..._

Emily sat in her quarters aboard the Dreadful Wale, blushing heavily at the memory as she wrote to Wyman. She needed to make sure she wouldn’t do anything stupid, but needed to give her hope of something good after Delilah’s coup. Remembering that event from mere months earlier, she referenced it, knowing that only Wyman would understand what really happened. She will take back the throne. She has to, for everyone’s sake.

Emily Kaldwin will take back what’s hers, and make the world as it should be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the letter on Emily's desk at the beginning of mission 2, Edge Of The World, that mentions overseeing a watchman's report at her desk "without any pants". Decided to go the kinky route with that.
> 
> Wyman's female because there isn't enough porn of Dishonored 2 Emily, and even less lesbian porn.
> 
> I don't actually know if the Abbey Of The Everyman disapproves of homosexuality considering there are some gay Overseers, but it seems like the kind of religion that wouldn't be big on them. I recall reading that they disapproved of it, though I might have been wrong.
> 
> I have a headcanon that Morley is supposed to represent France and Germany, so my depiction of Wyman is inspired by 1800s French fashion, except of course, in a suit and not a dress. I honestly can't remember a single character in Dishonored 1, 2, or the DLC that actually wore a dress.  
> EDIT: Well, I should have done some basic fucking research. It's supposed to be Ireland and Scotland in lore. Okay, quick fix, the aristocracy is French and German and the actual common folk are more like the Irish and Scottish, and the aristocracy have their own language that mixed Gristilian (English) and Morlish (Gaelic) as a result of all the intermixing and diplomacy, somehow making French. Does it make sense? No, but it's the best in-lore explanation I can give for my fuck up. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Obviously, "Sergeant Riverwood" and "Constable Olney" are inspired by Riverwood and Ol' Olney, from Skyrim and Fallout 3 respectively.
> 
> Lastly, this is my first work published here, and my first erotic work published anywhere. Please let me know how it is, and if you enjoyed it, feel free make a request. Depending on the reception, this might be the first in a series of stories about Emily being kinky throughout Dishonored 2.


	4. Edge Of A Bold New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily reaches Karnaca, and begins her trek towards Addermire Institute and the Crown Killer. She may or may not get distracted by some lewd ideas when she gains a new power...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while to write do to distractions like Overwatch's Anniversary event. Despite that however, here it is!

Emily awoke to the smell of coffee and seawater, something she’d grown accustomed to in the past few days. The empress arose from the cot, stretching. Going from sheets made from the finest silk in the Empire to a hard cot was a jarring change, but she supposed jarring changes were normal for her now. Her left hand burned softly under the purple fabric as she got to her feet and started getting properly dressed, a constant reminder of her newly acquired powers. Even days later, it still didn’t quite seem real to her, though she knew it to be true. The other reminder of her deal with the Outsider ticked along inside her jacket pocket: The disturbed, perversely modified remains of her mother’s heart, the deceased empress’ soul trapped within it. The thing was both comforting and disconcerting, a human heart with clockwork parts embedded into it was horrifying, especially as she knew exactly who it had belonged to, but having her mother there with her… Emily didn’t know what to think of the contraption.

_“I suppose that’s an effect all of the Outsiders 'gifts’ have in common on me.”_

Turning towards the cabin door, she found a crossbow, a note, and a pouch of coins nailed to it by an arrow. Reading the note, she held the crossbow, moving her wrist around to get a feel of its weight. Slick and light, perfect for using with a sword. She attached the crossbow to her belt, pocketing the note and coin before opening the door and leaving her cabin and entering the center room of the ship. Megan was sitting at the table to her right, reading a newspaper. A painting to her left however caught her eye first. It depicted the all too familiar face of the new empress, causing Emily to scowl.

“What’s this doing here? It’s _Delilah_.” She said, hissing the witch’s name as if it were a curse.

“Anton started it, just before he was taken. The two have history, but he wouldn’t say more.” Meagan replied, turning to look at her. Giving the painting one more glance, she walked over to the table, taking a seat and leaning over it.

“All right, you’ve explained part of it, but what were you and Sokolov doing here?”

“The old man loved Karnaca, but he caught wind of a conspiracy tied to the Crown Killer. He wanted to warn Corvo.”

The marked woman’s brow creased at the name as she looked down at the newspaper in front of her, an article about the murderer who had helped apart the coup. “There were reports about tensions rising, corruption, street violence… I…” She sighed, shaking her head. “Didn’t give it much mind. Usually the local authorities solved that sort of thing.”

Scoffing, Meagan got up and approached a board on the opposite side of the room. “Then the Duke has let things slide. Though Sokolov concluded he might be the head of the conspiracy. He came in looking shocked, and if you’ve heard his after dinner stories, you know that’s unusual. We were going to set off for Dunwall, but…”

“The Crown Killer?”

The captain nodded. “The hatch ripped open, he screamed, and they were off. I followed them towards the Addermire Institute. It’s run by the alchemist Hypatia. Perhaps the Crown Killer is one of her patients.”

“Addermire… alright. I’ll get inside. I’ll deal with the Crown Killer, and if the alchemist will cooperate, I’ll try to learn about where Sokolov was taken. Wish me luck,” She said, rising out of the chair and towards the door alongside Megan.

“If you need my luck, he’s as good as dead. I’ll take you to shore on the skiff, but you’ll have to get to Addermire from there and disable the watchtower before I can pick you up.”

***

About half an hour later, they were coming up on the docks of Karnaca. “Before his death, the old Duke of Serkonos built up the city as much as he could. Once Luca Abele took over, he started wasting the city’s wealth, spending it on orgies and week long feasts.” Meagan said, bitterness clear in her tone. Emily smirked under the scarf she pulled up to conceal her face.

“Having more fun here than we were in Dunwall, it seems.”

Meagan gave a roll of her eye and a small smirk in response before returning to a frown. “Watch yourself on the way to Addermire. The Duke’s given the Grand Guard free reign over the city. Strangers get attacked on sight.” The captain warned.

With that, they pulled into the docks, Emily stepping off the skiff and onto the stone pier. She was immediately greeted by a burly man in worker’s overalls. “Hey there, stranger. Welcome to Karnaca.” The man said with a smile. She gave him a nod and a wave in return, turning left. It was then that she noticed the large trough of blood in the middle of the path, leading towards the ocean. Looking up, she saw the body of a whale perched on the docks and impaled on several harpoons, making her grimace under her scarf. _“Poor thing. At least it’s already dead, not being tortured for oil like they used to in Dunwall.”_ She thought to herself. Closer to her was what looked to be a small bar, a newspaper catching her eye as she walked past it. Picking it up, she quickly read through it.

 _“‘Some have even suggested Emily herself committed the appalling crimes, as it is well known that she was raised by conspirators and murderers,’? What rubbish.”_ Emily rolled her eyes as she dropped the paper back on the table. _“It seems the news here will say whatever the Duke wants. Part of me wishes it did the same for me.”_ She mused as she turned towards the dead whale.

While she was looking at it, however, she felt the Heart suddenly start beating heavier. She remembered back to her... dream? Vision? Whatever her experience in the Void was, a similar feeling happening when she walked towards the Outsider shrine there. Coming close to its body, the Heart was pounding quickly as she spotted a rune trapped in the beast’s teeth. It looked similar to the pair that she picked up in the Void, the Mark of the Outsider painted onto a stone with bits of metal keeping the broken mass together. As she picked it up, however, it suddenly started heating up in her hands before turning to ash, making Emily jump back reflexively. The two runes that she had taken from the Void also began to burn up inside her coat pocket. She suddenly felt like her vision had improved immensely, everything seeming so much clearer. She blinked, and suddenly the world was rendered in a brilliant orange, and she could see the outlines out people through the body in front of her. She blinked again, and the world was normal. _“I can see through walls now? That could be useful. I might as well try to find this black market shop Meagan mentioned before I go to the station.”_

Heading up the stairs to her right, she saw the symbol of the black market painted on a building ahead of her. Before going inside it, she noticed a wanted poster depicting a familiar face. She smirked as she approached the poster advertising her bounty. _“20,000 coin for my head… quite the prize. The ‘deranged criminal’ part isn’t nearly as flattering.”_ It wasn’t a particularly well drawn poster of her face, but regardless, she took the edges and rolled it up, placing it in her coat. _“It won’t do to be recognized.”_

Walking inside the building, she saw a man looting a dead Grand Guard member. The man looked up, seeing her. He stood up, putting his open hands put. “Hard times under the Duke and his ‘Grand Guard’. A man has to be ready for anything,” He said, nodding towards the corpse. Emily simply nodded. _“No point in drawing attention to myself.”_

Walking up the stairs, she rounded the corner and found herself in the shop. The man running it looked up and straightened up. “Welcome, stranger. If you found this place, I’ll trade with you. Don’t worry, why you cover your face is none of my concern.”

***

A half hour later, she had a pack full of sleep darts, a rune, several stun mines and an upgraded crossbow, adding a scope and stronger pull strings to it to add extra strength. She passed a group of people saying something about a bloodfly filled apartment, sticking to the shadows. Corvo had mentioned bloodflies a few times, how they could kill someone easily if there were enough of them. Easily enough that Emily decided whatever was inside wasn’t worth the risk. Walking down the street, she began to hear yelling.

“-miserable rat! I told you! I told you what would happen if you reported me.” Upon hearing this, she dropped to a crouch. She looked up and saw a balcony. _“That balcony is probably overlooking whatever’s going on here, but there’s no way to climb up there.”_ Her hand tingled, the mark glowing blue. _“Perhaps I could pull myself up there…?”_ She thought, sticking her hand out. Moments later, a tendril shot out and flung her onto the balcony, the empress just barely keeping her footing. _“Incredible! It wasn’t just possible in the Void, it seems.”_

Crouching, she leaned over the banister to get a look. Below her, a guard shoved a terrified man to the ground. The burly man sneered as he glared at his victim. “I’m sorry, but I had no choice! What was I supposed to do?!” The other man said, bringing himself to his feet. The guard approached, towering over him.

“Sorry? It’s too late for that, Rolando. Guess what comes next?” With that, he raised his arms to push Rolando into the wall of light. Before he could do the crime, a sleep dart slammed into his shoulder, making him pass out nearly instantly. The other guard looked up just in time to see Emily drop down on him before she slammed the back of his head into the ground. She flung around, shooting another sleep dart into a guard charging down the stairs from the nearby building, leaving him tumbling down helplessly. Rolando inched away from her as she turned towards him, but relaxed when she put her crossbow away.

“T-thank you. They would have burnt me to ashes if you hadn’t stepped in.” He said, giving a short bow and giving her a pouch. “A bit of coin is the least I can do. Stay safe, friend.”

Emily accepted it with a nod. _“I didn’t do it for a reward, but extra coin can’t hurt when it comes to a situation like this.”_

Turning towards the wall of light, she frowned. _“I could shut off the windmill, but shutting down the wall might draw attention. Time to find another way around.”_ As she looked across the archway of death, the Heart started pumping, increasing the pace as she turned to the right. _“Through this apartment, then.”_

Walking up the stairs, and into the building, she saw a woman standing in the middle of the stairway. Moving closer, Emily heard a man speaking. “Move along, we’re conducting a search for heretical artifacts. This building is restricted under the authority of the Abbey.”

_“The Abbey. I’d hoped things like this had stopped under Yul.”_

Stepping to the side of the irritable woman, she dropped to a crouch, taking the obvious Overseer by surprise and knocking him out. Next was his partner, who went down just as easily. The Heart was pounding once more as she turned around, feeling something uneven under her boot. Taking a look, she found a bone-charm. Raising an eyebrow, she collected it, the three-pointed object warm in her hands. She shuddered for a moment, feeling slightly different. It wasn’t a massive change, but she felt it as she slipped it into her pocket. _“It seems bone-charms really do have magic in them.”_ Taking a few steps further, she noticed writing on the wall of the next room turning to find an entire shrine to the Outsider, complete with Sokolov’s painting of the being. She couldn’t suppress a laugh at the sight. _“Are the Overseers really this incompetent, or are they intentionally overlooking all this? Neither bodes well.”_

Approaching the shrine, she hesitantly stuck her hand out to touch the runes, when the world suddenly exploded in a blinding light. When she could open her eyes again, she was shocked to find herself in the Void once more. The Outsider sat before her, his usual condescending grin peering into her. “Karnaca was a lovely city once, before the Duke started to choke the life out of the place. Before the Crown Killer started painting the walls red.” Emily frowned, clenching her fists at the name that had caused her so much grief the past few months. His grin seemed to get slightly bigger at this. He teleported to her left, walking in front of her with his hands behind his back. “Now you’re here, and I have to wonder if you’re going to give it that final nudge or pull it back from the edge. We’ve both seen cities go bad before, empress. Blood, betrayal, vermin… it’s happening again. I hope you’re ready.”

Just as Emily opened her mouth to respond, she found herself back in the shrine room, the dark god nowhere to be seen. She closed her mouth, glaring at the painting. “Arrogant prick,” She spat, indignant at how he’d tossed her back before she could say a word. Sighing, she picked up the runes and left the shrine room. She saw a wooden folding door, presumably leading to a balcony. Opening it, she found herself on the other side of the wall of light. She took out her spyglass and studied the different paths leading towards the station. _“Hmm… there’s a street path to the left, but that’s too heavily guarded. The path straight ahead doesn’t have that many guards, but it’s completely exposed, nowhere to hide. That leaves me with the right… an Overseers outpost. It’s decently guarded, but it looks like a tight building. Probably tight enough to set traps for the guards easily. The Overseers it is, then.”_

Jumping off the balcony, she shot out her hand and subsequently the shadowy tendril, flinging herself into  the air before landing on another balcony close to the Overseer’s outpost. _“By the Void, this is thrilling! So much better than just jumping from rooftop to rooftop. I’ll have to think of a name for this at some point.”_ She mused, dropping to a crouch. Below her, an Overseer was telling a tale about a High Overseer who had disgraced the Abbey by being revealed as a heretic, the small crowd enthralled. As he turned to point at the crowd, Emily noticed the rune and bone-charm on the table next to him. Quietly leaning over the balcony, she waited for the moment nobody was watching, and then grabbed the heretical artifacts with the tendril's far reach. _“Far Reach… seems like a fitting name.”_

As the rune connected to her hand, she bit her lip as yet another surge of energy flew through her. She saw an image flicker in her mind quickly and repeatedly: a black, diamond-shaped object shimmering in the light, whispering incoherent phrases to her. She grabbed her head, squeezing her eyes shut as a headache suddenly came on. The feeling was maddening, until the image and headache disappeared as suddenly as they had come. _“Damn. What was that thing?!”_ She thought, shaking her head. Despite the irritation at whatever had just happened, she felt more powerful, just as when she had gained her enhanced vision. She pulled herself onto the balcony leading into the building, sneaking up on a man at his desk and choking him from behind. The empress glanced over the papers on the desk, pocketing on addressed towards the High Overseer. She also noticed one of Sokolov’s paintings hanging on the wall in the room, making a note to get it before she left. She flicked on her special eyes, spotting two more men in the next room. Creeping silently towards the doorway, she frowned. _“They’re facing each other, so I can’t sneak up on them. Well, let’s see what this new ‘gift’ does,”_ She thought, sticking her hand out and closing her eyes, picturing the bizarre image she had seen when she picked up the rune, and closing her hand. When she opened her eyes again, the entity had appeared in the next room, drawing the attention of both Overseers. Instead of reacting to it, however, they just… stood there, watching it. Emily cautiously entered the room, standing right in front of the pair who were still unmoving.

Slightly worried, she felt for a pulse. They were alive, but completely mesmerized by the strange creature. She raised an eyebrow, waving her hand in front of the mesmerized men, still producing no reaction. _“Interesting. I could do anything in front of them and they wouldn’t notice.”_ Turning, she picked up a piece of paper, saying to keep mind three particular scriptures: Wanton Flesh, Wandering Gaze, and Restless Hands. She glanced at the safe in the prior room. _“Probably the combination. Wanton flesh, hmm? I wonder if nights with Wyman count as that to the Abbey… wait.”_ She raised her hand and slapped the closest Overseer, but he didn’t react. She tentatively pulled her mask down, revealing her face to the mindless drones. “ _With these guards distracted by that thing, I could do_ _anything_ _in front of them and they wouldn’t notice. Anything at all… I could even... bloody hell, Emily, are you serious?!”_ She mentally scolded herself. However, despite scolding herself, she couldn’t help but imagine doing anything in front of them without them noticing, including seeing herself stripping, bringing a blush to her face and a heat to her sex. _“I can’t believe I’m actually thinking of that here of all places.”_ But the images continued, seeing images of her fingering herself in front of the oblivious guards. She bit her lip.

 _"Ungh… it’s been a long time, and this isn’t helping. I can’t believe I’m doing this… fine. If I don’t take care of this now, it'll just distract me later. I might as well deal with it before it becomes an issue… Void, what is wrong with me?”_ She thought, shaking her head and pulling her scarf back up as she began. Emily felt her arousal growing as she cupped her round rear and squeezed the soft flesh through her pants. She grooved her fingers along, feeling up her thick, athletic ass, a nice butt being an extra benefit of all that intensive training. Moving her hands, she rubbed her crotch, gasping quietly as her underwear grinded against her pussy as she moved her hand along. The two remained oblivious to the woman as she proceeded to get rid of the barrier between her fingers and her vagina, pushing her pants down and having her panties quickly follow suit, the charcoal colored pants bunched up at her ankles while her pitch-black panties hung between her spread legs. She moved her right hand downwards, brushing past her pubic hair and tracing along her slit, her left hand covering her mouth to keep from bringing the whole damn outpost down on her while she fingered herself. And so the empress stood, naked from the waist down playing with herself in front of two Overseers, blushing heavily as she continued the lewd act. _“Oh yes… this is a terrible idea, but I’d be a liar if I said I'm not enjoying this. I can’t draw it out without a decent chance of trouble, so I’ll need to keep this short.”_

She slid in her middle finger halfway, joining her index finger inside her as she suppressed a moan. They pumped against her sensitive flesh while she began to picture a scene for her enjoyment.  _The Overseers grabbed her, one holding her by the arms while the other tore off her pants and underwear._ She pushed her fingers deeper in. _He grabbed her ass and squeezed hard before he began undoing his own pants, taking his member in his hand and jacking it until it was hardened, standing at a decent 7 inches. Grabbing her legs, he hefted her into the air hanging between him and his friend. Then he shoved into her sopping cunt, pinning her legs underneath his so that she couldn’t move while he pushed past her folds._ A soft, happy gasp escaped Emily has she fapped to her fantasy, the two men still not noticing the woman masturbating mere feet away from them. She picked up the pace of her fingers, stroking her inner walls in powerful, quick bursts. She was dripping by now, her excitement dripping from her soaked fingers to the panties hanging between her. _The other Overseer pushed her arms around him, leaving her looking up with her back to the floor and her arms locked around him. He soon had his cock out as well, about 8 inches. He roughly tore the scarf off her face and pushed himself past Emily’s lips, the former empress eagerly lapping at his length. She dragged her tongue along the underside of him, her lips sucking him in slow, savoring pulls._

A muffled moan quietly passed by her covered mouth as she inserted another finger, forcing her to lean against the wall to keep on her feet. Her mouth began to water as she pictured herself blowing him. _“By the Void, this is amazing. These powers, this feeling… I love it.”_ She decided.

_She rolled her tongue around the head of his shaft, taking in the taste of it. He pushed further in, now having her lick the middle of it. The head was pushing at the beginning of her tongue, teasing the back of her throat. Meanwhile, the other man was pounding her pussy, his dick sending waves of pleasure throughout her as it slammed into her and rubbed against her clit. His fingers held handfuls of her ass tightly, kneading the soft flesh. She moaned around the cock in her mouth, eagerly taking in more of him. By now, his balls were resting on her face, taking up much of her eyesight. It only served to make her even more excited, taking in the rest of his length and sucking hard, dragging her tongue all over him._

By now, she had four fingers inside her while her thumb massaged her clit. She was just barely managing to suppress her moans, approaching her orgasm quickly.

_With one final suck, the man using her mouth came, shooting his first load down her throat. He pulled out and aimed down, spraying her face and hair with his cum. On her other end, the Overseer pushed deep into her before releasing, creampie-ing her. They let her drop to the floor as she desperately fingered herself, screaming out as-_

She came, the orgasm shaking her body as she climaxed. She covered up her final scream of a moan successfully, leaving it coming out as barely a whimper. Her juices shot out onto her hand, sticking to her fingers. She panted quickly, letting herself wind down from her orgasm. As the intense pleasure subsided, she regained her senses. _“Wow… I actually did that… I’m such a pervert. At least they’re still clueless,”_ She mused, glancing towards the two men, still hypnotized by the bizarre entity. Using a nearby rag to clean herself, she pulled her panties and pants back on before quickly choking the two out. _“Wouldn’t do to have you two catching me now.”_

Moments after the other guard went down, the creature vanished. _“So there IS a limit on how long it lasts. That was about five minutes, so it lasts a decent while.”_ Moving back towards the office, she took a closer look at the painting on the wall. “Vice Overseer Liam Byrne,” she muttered. Taking out her blade, she carefully cut around the edges of the painting until it came fell from its frame, Emily rolling it up and putting it in her coat. “It should get a decent amount on the black market. Time for the safe.” Entering the combination, she found yet another rune, causing her to raise an eyebrow. _“For such rare and tightly regulated artifacts, these runes seem to be all over the city. It seems the Overseers don’t have as much control here as in Dunwall.”_

Pocketing the rune and silver she found, she left the office and went up the stairs to her left. She dropped to a crouch as she approached, hearing voices in the next room. “-tic’s body is important, though I don’t know how. We will wait for the Vice Overseer.” An Overseer in the doorway ahead of her said. She crept closer, listening closely.

“When shall Byrne arrive?” Another man gruffed out. Before his friend could respond, she put him into a chokehold while firing a sleep dart into the other one. Stepping inside, she moved to the desk one of them was looking over and picking up a piece of paper on it. Upon seeing the contents, she scowled in anger and disgust. _“They tortured a man to death for his artwork? Barbarians.”_ She thought, kicking the unconscious murderer. Sighing, she turned to leave the room. However, she spotted a map of Karnaca on the board, and decided to study it. _“I might as well get to know the layout of the city if I’m going to be tracking down the Duke and his allies.”_

Leaving the room, she entered the interrogation room, smelling the corpse before seeing it. Grimacing, she walked past it, collecting the sleep darts and stun mines that had almost certainly been used to torture the poor man. The Heart began thumping oddly, a quick but uneven pulse. In front of her was what looked like a bone-charm, but it was partly shattered on the end and was missing the two extra stems of the first. When she picked it up, a burning pain shot through her, nearly making her drop it. It burned in her hand, but felt impossible to let go of. _“What in the Void is this thing?! It feels… wrong. Corrupting. I shouldn’t keep it,”_ She decided, forcing the thing out of her hand before taking her out sword and slamming it down on the corrupted charm, shattering it. Picking up the pieces to sell for scrap, she climbed out of the open window in the room, moving slowly and carefully on the overhangs. Spotting a balcony above her, she tethered herself up to it, flinging herself to the next balcony before dropping down to a final balcony and off of that, landing in what looked like a town market. _“Almost to the station now. I don’t have many options here it seems: Pull myself up to the railway and panic everyone, or go to the left and risk getting seen by guards. To the left it is.”_ Walking towards the station, she heard a pair of singers.

“A coup, a coup, what is it to you? A feast or a famine, a nail or a screw? A Duke from the South, a vile witch's brew, a coup, a coup, what is it to you?” They sang, leaving Emily rather bemused. Tossing a coin into their box, she darted across the road to the station, dropping to a crouch before Far Reaching up to a nearby balcony. _“More Grand Guard soldiers. Best to avoid.”_

Sticking to the buildings, she flung herself onto a pipe and inches along it, quickly pulling herself into an apartment. _“Dr. Hypatia’s apartment, if her picture and lab equipment is anything to go by. I should look for anything that might help me convince Hypatia to cooperate. Just what is going on at Addermire, why is it in the Duke’s interests, and how does it all connect to Delilah?”_

Finding an audiograph, she turned it on. _“A failed serum? That could be important. She seems a good woman, so hopefully this will go smoothly.”_ The empress considered, slinking back out of the apartment. She leapt to a light post before flinging herself to the roof. Time seemed to slow as she and a female guard in a red uniform spotted each other, firing a sleep dart at her as she landed in a well-practiced roll. She tossed a stun mine at a pair patrolling the skylights and she dropped down on another Elite Guard, slamming them face first into the stone roof. Moments later the mine activated, shocking the final two guards unconscious. Rising to her feet, Emily grinned widely under her mask. “I always dreamed of sword fighting as a child. Seems I got my wish, in a way.” She thought aloud. She dropped from the roof to the overhang above the tracks, using another guard to break her fall to ground level before stepping inside the carriage, pulling the lever to send her off to Addermire. _“Now to deal with the Crown Killer.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is The Good Doctor, which *probably* won't have smut. Please let me know how you enjoyed this chapter and the story as a whole!
> 
> If you're wondering why Mindy Blanchard wasn't here: The AU tag is there for more than just the added smut. Some things will change, for example, Mindy isn't hanging around the docks that particular day because of the butterfly effect. Besides, I think most stories that follow the general plot of DH2 go with Mindy's quest, so I figured I'd do something different.


	5. A Cure For The Crown (Killer)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily investigates Addermire Institute and deals with the Crown Killer. Meanwhile, she experiments with her powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, and I hope you all enjoy! Thank you for 30 kudos!

The immense building dominated most of the small island Emily stood on, domineering and looking a tad ominous in the rain that had rolled in. _“Addermire Institute, finally. I should find a map, see where Hypatia’s office is. But first...”_ She thought, taking out the Heart and following it down to a bone-charm under the cartridge rails. Attaching it to her coat with the others, she felt the usual burst of energy. _“Hmm… I feel… stronger. Much stronger,”_ She thought, walking past another wanted poster of herself and pulling herself onto an overhang.

“There’s definitely something going on here. After last night, I’m sure of it. Whatever it was, it moved like an animal.” A guard mentioned to his colleague, Emily listening silently as she positioned herself to be directly over them.

The other guard held his pistol, testing how quickly he could draw it for a moment before speaking. “Before I got transferred to Addermire, I saw one of those Crown Killer crime scenes. Whoever tore that old couple apart enjoyed it.”

“So what do you think then?” The man replied as Emily loaded another sleep dart into her crossbow. His partner remained silent.

“I dunno. Coming back at dawn, smudges of blood on the windows… I don’t know what to think. Maybe the Duke found some new bear or ape from Pandyssia? It keeps me up at night just thinking about it,” He sighed.

 _“They’re not in my way, so no point in just leaving more evidence I was here,”_ She decided. Slipping into the main hall, she pulled herself onto a chandelier, she listened in on a woman begging to one of the guards.

“My seven year old broke her leg carrying water down to the miners, and my three year old has been coughing dust for weeks! His skin is so pale and grey… I could bring them here, please just-”

“I’m very sorry,” a guard in a red coat interrupted. “But Dr. Hypatia isn’t taking patients anymore, and the institute is under the Grand Guard’s authority.” He smiled smugly, leaning closer to her in his chair. “Clearly you can’t be trusted to do your job without causing problems.” He nodded to the guard behind her, the man’s hands shaping up to grab her head and presumably snap her neck. With a flick of her wrist, however, the mesmerizing entity appeared before them, depriving them of their situational awareness like with the Overseers.

 _“Just knock them out, Emily, don’t get any ideas…”_ She thought to herself as she casually knocked out the distracted guards. _“Another wall of light. I just need to follow the cable to find the oil, simple enough.”_ She turned to follow it, noticing a Sokolov painting on the wall. _“Duke Luca Abele,”_ She thought with a sneer. _“Your turn’s coming, and everyone will be better for it.”_

Cutting the picture down, she flung herself to the next level, carefully removing the whale oil canister. _“If I die because I dropped a canister of whale oil after everything else I’ve survived, I’d deserve it,”_ she thought, setting it on the ground. Turning, she noticed a hallway leading from the level she was on. A few minutes later, she found herself in what looked like an abandoned section of the building with a pair of safes. The code for one of them was on a nearby table, the other one unlocked. Inside she found a set of blueprints. “These could be useful,” She said to herself. A rancid smell caught her attention, and she couldn’t hold back a gasp as she saw the dismembered remains of a guard, his blood painting the walls. Shock turned to cold anger as she drew closer. “One of the Crown Killer’s playthings. This ends today.” Pocketing a nearby letter, she left the scene and returned to the atrium, walking past the deactivated wall of light. Noticing a map, she studied it. “Hypatia’s office is on the fourth floor. The elevator should take me right to it.”

Stepping inside the elevator, she pressed the button for Hypatia’s office. As it pulled her up, Emily heard a guard’s rumbling voice. “Dr. Hypatia doesn’t leave Addermire, lieutenant. Period. Not a word to- wait, someone’s coming up!” He called just before the elevator reached the office floor. The elevator doors opened, and the empress leapt out, slamming the lieutenant’s head against the wall before whirling around to the other man. He’d already drawn his pistol, pulling the trigger milliseconds before Kaldwin’s shoulder exploded in pain as the bullet tore through the muscle. She yelled out in pain as she summoned her claw of shadows and yanked him towards her, punching him in the throat hard enough to knock him out.

“Vyyebat!” She hissed out between her teeth, a word she had picked up from Sokolov when he was her teacher. She slipped off her coat as she leaned against the wall, inspecting the wound. The bullet had gotten stuck inside of her. _“Damn it all. This is going to hurt…”_ She mused to herself as she activated her powers again, forming the hand for Far Reach. However, instead of the normal claw it usually formed into, Emily focused intensely, trying to meld it into a makeshift pair of pliers. The fingers slowly combined into to long, thin prongs, a small smile forming on her lips despite the wound. “So I can use these powers in other ways… good to know.”

She moved her hand slowly, sliding the shadowy appendages into the wound. With some effort on her part, the prongs closed around the bullet and pulled it out, dropping it into her hand as she dismissed the power. “The shot’s out, at least. Now to patch it up…” The woman mumbled as she took a deep breath, lifted the S&P Elixir, and poured it into the wound, stifling a yell as the burning sensation grew before her muscle and skin began melding back into place. Sighing, she pulled her coat back on and went to the door, reading the note on it. “Hypatia’s in Recuperation? Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. The key’s inside her office… and a janitor is in Disease Treatment. Looks like it won’t be as simple as I thought.”

Opening the door to the doctor’s office, she found the key instantly. “I should look around, see if there’s anything around here that will tell me about the Crown Killer.” She mumbled, looking around the office. Finding an audio player, she flicked it on.

“The blackouts are getting worse,” an almost sickly sounding woman’s voice droned. “And my dreams have taken a turn for the… disturbing. Even rest alludes me. Duke Abele seemed over protective at first, but I’m increasingly feeling like a prisoner in my own lab. The soldiers leave me alone, but I can’t help but feel as if I’m always being watched. What saddens me most is the loss of my work, not being able to help the people that need me. The workers and their families are suffering because I’m not there to help them.” The audiograph clicked off, Emily slipping the card into her coat.

“Whatever’s going on here has even the doctor concerned, and the Duke has her trapped here. The janitor might know what’s going on. Down to Disease Treatment, then.” With that, she left the office and was about to enter the elevator when the Heart started beating. It grew faster as she looked at a pair of glass doors to her left, spurring her to follow it. Walking along the rooftop, it began beating frantically as she approached what looked to be patient quarters. Stepping inside, she found another shrine. Taking a breath, she touched the runes, and the world exploded onto white once more.

The Outsider sat on top of a rock, legs hanging off of it as he smiled thinly, made ominous with his all-seeing black eyes. “I so do enjoy watching history warp as it travels from the lips of one to the ears of another. Imperfectly formed, half understood, and poorly remembered.” His smile grew slightly bigger as he paced around her. “In the years to come, the story of the Crown Killer will be twisted and bent, hammered like soft metal. By some accounts, a monster that had to be put down. By others, a victim of treachery preserved because in the end you found another way. But you’ll always know the truth. Your truth, at least.” He said, turning away as Emily found herself back in Karnaca.

“The Crown Killer, a victim? How could that be the case? Even if they were, how can I spare them after all they’ve done?” She murmured to herself, shaking her head. As she pocketed the runes, they turned to ash like the others, her mark flaring through the fabric as the empress merely flinched a bit. “Another power, it seems. I’m not sure if I should be concerned that it’s starting to feel normal now.” She spotted a mirror in the room, taking a long look at herself in the mirror. “My truth… what sort of truth will I create? Will I still be the person I see in the mirror?”

Stepping out, she pulled herself down to a lower floor’s balcony before dropping down into the atrium from there. _“The elevator made too much noise last time, so I should take the stairs.”_ The marked woman mused. She creeped up them in a crouch, attempting to avoid the attention of two rather loud guards playing cards. Slipping in the door of Disease Treatment, she hid behind a table while two guards talked.

“Is Hamilton in there?” A female officer questioned.

“He’s losing it. Yelling nonsense for hours, something about being attacked by a monster last night. Some beast that wanted to scoop out his brains from his skull. Poor bastard,” The guard replied, sighing.

“I see. Keep this to yourself if you will, I’ll try to make him see reason.” The officer replied. Moments later, a bottle slammed into the man’s head, and she turned just in time to see Emily grab her and throw her against the table, shattering various beakers and knocking her out. Walking past them, she entered the small interrogation room where the janitor was being held. Kneeling down, she put a hand on his to comfort him.

“You’re Hamilton? Why did they lock you up, do you know something?” She inquired.

“I swear I know what I saw, something hooded. So much hate in its eyes. As if the world needs more of that…” He sighed. “I hope they didn’t steal my notes… I need to get back to my room.” Rising up, she bowed her head.

“For what it’s worth, Hamilton, I believe you. I’ll stop whatever it was you saw,” She intoned, taking out a sleep dart and poking him in the neck with it. “To keep you from getting blamed for whatever happens,”. Taking him into her arms, she laid him gently on the ground before taking his from a nearby box. “Let’s see what you had in your room.”

One uneventful climb up later, she was back on the fourth floor, walking up the stairs to his quarters. Just before the door, she noticed a trip wire and a pair of launchers. “Gifts for the Crown Killer, I assume,” She mused as she cut the wire with her sword and removed the crossbow bolts from the launchers. Opening the door, she found a decently sized living space, the man’s journal on the desk at the end of the room. She read through it quickly, making mental notes. “Dr. Vasco seems to be the most likely suspect, based on this. He’s in Recuperation, same as Hypatia. That’s the next stop.”

Walking over to the staircase railing, she shot out a tendril to a chandelier, pulling her down to the third floor. A small jump onto the staircase, and she was standing before the room leading to Hypatia. Opening the doors, she found herself confronted with a room full of bloodflies. “I’ve never seen such a massive infestation!” She exclaimed, taking a step back. In front of her was a body holding a letter, Emily slowing dragging the paper towards her with her foot, not eager to anger the creatures. Picking it up, she looked through it. “Smash the flies or burn them, keep some distance, and take out red nest to stop more from coming. Simple enough,” The empress whispered as she drew her pistol, blasting the first nest to pieces. “There’s some liquor bottles here. Maybe they’re flammable?”

She picked one up and threw it at another nest to her left, watching it burst into flames in a beautiful display. “Bottles, my constant ally.” She joked to herself, continuing down the left side of the room. She only had to shoot two more nests before she found herself in a grand lab, hearing a woman murmuring something below her. _“Dr. Hypatia, presumably. She looks… tired. Older than she is.”_ She thought to herself, walking down the stairs loud enough for the doctor to hear. The woman turned her head to her, eyes looking through her.

“Hello? Are you a patient of mine?” She inquired, head tilted before shaking. “I’m sorry, I… I should know that.” Hypatia sighed, turning completely to the other woman.

“I’m here to ask you something, doctor. I-” Emily was interrupted by the doctor cupping her face in her hands, a worried frown adorning her own.

“Do you hide your face because you were hurt? The afflictions we treat here are more common than anyone likes to admit.”

“I’m not here for treatment,” She responded, stepping out of the doctor’s hold.  “I’m looking for Anton Sokolov.” Looking directly into Alexandria’s distant eyes, a flash of recognition appeared.

“Sokolov...yes, he was here for a short time. But she took him away to see Kirin Jindosh…. do you hear something?” She inquired, looking around. Emily raised an eyebrow, readjusting herself.

 _“Something is definitely off about Hypatia. What is she doing?”_ The masked felon questioned to herself. Shaking her head, she continued. “What about the Crown Killer? Are they a patient of yours?”

“The Crown Killer, from the newspapers? I’m afraid I don’t-oh! Yes, the murders. I was in Dunwall, studying diseases found among whaling crews… who’s calling me?” She called out. “I’ve been forgetting things, I’m afraid. The Crown Killer is an interesting case. I’m sure I can help…” She explained, handing Emily an organ she’d just pulled from a bloodfly. She reluctantly took it, dropping it back on the table when Hypatia looked away. “We used to do such good work, but now my memory is failing me. Perhaps I caught some disease working with the miners…?” She trailed off, returning her attention to the bloodfly on the table.

Sighing, Kaldwin put a hand on the doctor’s shoulder.  “Thank you for what you’ve told me, Hypatia. Consider getting some rest,” She said, turning away. _“That explains where Sokolov is, but where’s the Crown Killer?”_ She mused to herself. Suddenly, the Heart started up.

 _'When the Duke’s voice comes on over the audiograph, a chill hits her and she- she sleeps.’_ Her mother’s heart whispered out. Putting it in her hand, she squeezed. _‘This one has a good heart, but there’s something else there, too. Watching from the inside…’_

 _“Wait… could she… no, how would that be possible? How could this woman, the most beloved person in Karnaca, be the Crown Killer?”_ She pieced together as she continued walking away. She walked into a room behind Hypatia, finding a human head impaled on a pike being bitten at by flies, making her step back and gag. _“What the fuck?! She has a man’s severed head casually on display?!”_ The empress shouted in her mind, drawing her sword as she continued. In the next room, she saw what she thought was a corpse until it turned to look at her. She approached him, kneeling down beside the man. “Who did this to you?” She asked, though she was afraid she already knew the answer.

“Doctor Hypatia did this, she’s the Crown Killer,” He confirmed. “But she’s not herself. She developed a serum, trying to help the miners. The first version… caused horrible changes to her mind. It’s too late for me… but you can still save her, she’s a good person.” He said, attempting to sit up despite the blackened wound in his chest.

“What can I do?

“In my safe, in Disease Treatment. You’ll figure out how to make the counter serum, save her. The code is 587-” Moments later, something smashed through the window, throwing Emily to the ground. Hypatia- no, the Crown Killer, jumped through what was left of the window, glaring down at the renegade with a vicious smile. Her scarf had come off in the impact, leaving her face revealed to the shell of a doctor.

“A little sparrow, just for me. And what a pretty one at that! I’ll take my time with you…” She said, walking towards her. Emily drew her crossbow and fired a sleep dart at the feral beast, but it caught it in mid-air. “Sorry, empress, but I won’t go back to sleep. You’re mine now…” As she said this, Vasco picked up a book that had fallen over and threw it at her, hitting her in the back. She swirled around, glaring at him. “Ah, my dear assistant. Since you seem so eager to get my attention, I’ll play with you first!” She yelled as she grabbed him by the throat and tossed him into the main lab, Emily scrambling to her feet. She ran, flinging herself to the rafters with Far Reach and then to the door, a thud and hysterical laughter signaling that the Killer was chasing her. She ran past the bloodflies, not afraid of them nearly as much as the psychotic murderer behind her. She practically flew out of Recuperation, running into the elevator and slamming the doors closed in a panic. She pulled out her pistol once more, aiming it at the door. Hypatia’s alter ego leaped out, moving too erratically to place a decent shot. “I’d wanted to have fun with you, but if you’re just going to hide in there, I might as well just send you away.” It said, sounding disappointed. It leaped up to a hatch above the doors and slashed the elevator cables, sending it and Emily down at lethal speeds. Laughter was the last sound Emily heard before everything went black.

***

“Ugh… what happened… Hypatia!” The empress flew to her feet, sword drawn. She almost immediately regretted it as her legs flared in pain, feeling like something had broken. “Damn it. If I keep going like this, I’ll be nothing but bones by the time I get back to Dunwall…” She mused to herself, drinking some elixir as she crawled put of the wreckage. “Wait, where am I?” Looking around, she’d found herself in a flooded room, a single spotlight at the other side providing light. As she walked towards the side room, she shivered. “I miss being dry and warm,” She sighed, shaking her head as her feet continued through the cold water. She found a rune on a shelf, along with a letter and diary. “Vera Moray… I think Corvo mentioned her, once. Seems she was marked as well. I wonder where she ended up,”. Taking the nearby self-portrait of Sokolov, she returned to the elevator. “I need to get to Disease Treatment. I’ll have to climb my way out,” She said with a slight huff. A few minutes later, she was in Vasco’s office, unlocking his safe. Inside, she found a vial of Addermire Solution, a key, a syringe and the journal. “Okay, I need to get some infected blood and heat it up. Simple enough,” She concluded, walking towards the nearby room of bloodflies. Summoning her shadow arm, she flung the thing towards herself, putting the syringe in and extracting the blood. “Disgusting. Hopefully this works,” She said as she injected the mixture into the glass and activated the burner. After a few seconds, it deposited the cure into another glass before being pulled into the syringe.

A few minutes later, she was crouching on the rafters above Recuperation, watching the monster wander about below. “Where are you, my pale, posh friend?” The Crown Killer taunted as it flung a cabinet open, sinking when there was nobody inside. “Are you a noble? I _love_ the taste of rich girls like you~” She called out, making Emily raise an eyebrow.

 _“Is there a double meaning there? Perhaps Hypatia has some other secrets… if this works, she might be able to work on those feelings. But it’s not the time to be thinking like that.”_ The empress thought to herself. _“She’ll tear me apart if she sees me coming, and she already knows I’m here. Let’s see what this new power is....”_ She closed her eyes, channeling the Void through her mark. In her mind, she saw… herself. Two perfect copies of herself, standing side by side. _“Wait… not perfect copies, their eyes are glazed”_ She noted. When she opened her eyes, she saw herself standing in the room. Her doppelganger. _“I can create copies of myself? Void, I bet Wyman would be thrilled about that…”_ She quipped as her double passed by a table in the middle of the room. Grim Alex noticed the double, laughing sadistically.

“There you are! I’m going to have fun with you!” She shouted, and Emily noticed something in her hand.

“ _Are those… handcuffs?”_

She leapt on the doppelganger, pinning it to the ground face-down.  She grabbed the doppelganger’s arms, and forced them together before handcuffing them, the doppel’s feet being cuffed together next.  Emily was about to drop down and inject the cure when Grim Alex turned the double around, yanked off her scarf, and kissed her deeply. She froze, still watching from above with a blush as the killer made out with her clone.

 _“Well then… that certainly answers that question. I should take this opportunity… wait, is she-”_ The empress’ thoughts were interrupted as Alex grabbed the double’s shirt with both hands and clawed at it until there was nothing covering her tits, the perky c-cups exposed to the killer and voyeuring empress. Grim Alex took a breast in each hand, squeezing hard enough for not-Emily to moan. _“She… she’s actually doing it! She’s having her way with… me, in a way. Outsider’s eyes, why can’t I look away?”_ She thought to herself as the sight before her continued.

“Enjoying yourself, friend? It sounds like it!” The psychopath taunted as she bent slightly, dragging her tongue along the clone’s breasts. She bore a wicked grin before taking in a nipple, biting it to the point of the double yelping in between moans. The scene was creating a warmth in the empress as she bit her lip under her scarf. Alex slapped the other breast as she released her hold on the other before standing up, still hunching over animalistically. “I think I’ll try something different with you…” She called out before leaping into a back room. 30 seconds later, she came out once more, her appearance making Emily gasp and grow warmer. The doctor’s alter ego had discarded her pants and panties, only the harness of a strap-on adorning her bottom half.

_“Oh my.... it seems the good doctor has some particular tastes. Bloody hell, how can you be turned on by this?! That would have been you if you got caught. But… ugh, damn. She’ll be distracted while she’s… enjoying herself, so I can drop down and inject the cure when she’s completely focused on the double. Yes, it’s strategy, not me wanting to see her use that thing.”_

The killer stood over the doppelganger, practically purring. Her hands grabbed the hem of not-Emily’s pants before tearing them apart, her panties soon destroyed as well. Alex looked over the mostly nude lookalike of the empress, grinning like a predator who captured its prey. “You’re excited, aren’t you? Isn’t this fun?” She said as she grabbed the double’s throat with one hand, the other grabbing her ass. She slammed in, tearing through any and all resistance with the dildo and grinning at the copy’s moans. Her grip around her neck was strong, strong enough that any actual person would be choking by now. She pulled out before slamming in again, each massive thrust shaking not-Emily’s body and making the real Emily feel a dampness between her legs. It continued that way for a few minutes, before Alex started groaning herself and picked up the pace, slamming in and out incredibly fast. She leaned forward and kissed the copy deeply once more as she climaxed, howling out in pleasure while Emily saw her squirting onto her mirror image, adding to her arousal. Alex slowed down, breaking the kiss and smiling. “That was fun, dear. I’ll have more fun with your corpse though,” She said before biting into the copy’s neck. It exploded into a cloud of dust, making the killer jump back.

Emily took the opportunity, dropping down from the rafters and slamming Hypatia to the ground and injecting the cure. “No, no! Not back to sleep! I won’t go… I won’t give it back!” She cried, pushing her assailant off and grabbing her head. She collapsed to the ground, skin returning to its normal tan instead of pale grey. Doctor Hypatia laid on the ground, eyes slowly opening and looking blearily at Emily.

“Doctor Hypatia?” The empress asked, kneeling down beside her. The woman grabbed her head, getting to her knees.

“Yes… I’m sorry, there’s something wrong with me. Maybe I contracted something working with the miners…”

“No, somebody was poisoning you, but you should be better now. Your assistant Vasco gave me notes on how to cure you.” She explained, helping the doctor up.

“Poisoning me? Why would someone want to-” The doctor stopped mid-sentence as she glanced down and noticed her state of undress, a mortified expression taking over her face. “What? Oh my-why am I… did we…” She sputtered out, attempting to cover herself in shame. Emily put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

“I can explain, but not right now. If you want to talk or need a place to stay, I’m staying aboard a ship called the Dreadful Wale. You’ll be among friends there,” She said, the brilliant doctor calming down and nodding, though still blushing heavily and covering herself.

“O-okay. But who are you, exactly?”

The masked felon hesitated for a moment, looking at the woman she had saved. “I suppose you should know,” She said, pulling down her scarf. Alexandria’s eyes widened.

“Empress? I… I suppose I’ll learn why you’re here on the ship. I’ll gather my things and join you later tonight. And… thank you, for whatever you did.” She responded, nodding her head and inching to stand behind a table. Emily nodded back, turning towards the stairway and exiting the room.

_“Hypatia’s cured, if a little embarrassed. If she remembers the killings, she’ll have to live with that, but the murders are over. Time to take out the watchtower, get to Meagan, and get back to the Wale.”_

Slipping through the hallway out of Recuperation, she opened the doors leading to the gardens and walked to the edge, pulling herself down to the first floor. Dropping to a crouch, she listened in on another pair of guards. “Imagine spending a season here. Just resting while people take care of you.” One of them said. His partner scoffed.

“No thanks. Sickness is still sickness, even when it’s wrapped in a silk bathrobe. All I can imagine is people coughing up blood all over their tea and crumpets. Place gives me the heebie-jeebies.” The other guard replied, shaking his head. Her final sleep dart slammed into his neck moments later, his partner getting knocked out and thrown in a bin. Kaldwin spotted the watchtower in the distance, making her way towards it. She found a gate in her way, an oblivious guard looking over the water. Summoning her heretical appendage, she intended to simply reach behind him, but her finger twitched too much and it clutched his ankle and through him at her, the man screening in terror and confusion up until her fist hit his throat.

“Shit!” She cursed as the watchtower turned to investigate the screaming, the spotlight turning red and alarms blaring. She activated Far Reach again, flinging herself in the air to dodge the volley of explosive arrows. In the air, time seemed to slow as she aimed it once more, pulling herself onto the watchtower and ripping the whale oil out, tossing it into the water. _“Okay, I need to practice my powers more. But where can I without revealing the mark to Meagan?”_ She thought to herself as she saw the woman in question pulling up to the island. Dropping onto yet another oblivious guard, she walked to the dock. _“How little must they pay these guards for them to care this little? I just set off all sorts of alarms and he didn’t even bat an eye.”_

Meagan reached the dock, Emily stepping into the skiff. “Can we leave this place yet? I don’t like it.” The older woman huffed out.

“Yes, let’s get back to the ship.”

A few minutes later, Meagan spoke again. “Did you find Sokolov?” She asked, sounding like she was trying to keep a neutral tone.

“No, but Hypatia was the Crown Killer.” The empress responded, expecting the disbelieving look Foster gave her.

“What? I don’t believe you,” The captain spat, voice hardening.

“The duke tricked her into injecting herself with a flawed version of her serum. It changed her. There was an antidote, so she’ll live.” The one-eyed woman’s face softened, seeming to believe it. “If she remembers the murders, she’ll have to live with them,” She sighed out.

“What about Sokolov?” Meagan demanded, not even trying to hide her desperosity anymore.

“Delilah had them take him to someone named Kirin Jindosh. Have you heard of him?”

“Everybody knows him. He’s the Grand Inventor of Serkonos.”

“Then he’s next,” Emily said decisively. “Let’s hope Anton’s all right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol This turned out a lot longer than I anticipated.


	6. (Wet) Dreams Of The Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During her quest to reclaim the throne, Emily has a nightmare that reminds her of all her mistakes. Luckily for her, Wyman, or at least a dream version of her, is there to help in her usual way.
> 
> Thanks to Vergil1989, his story "Dishonored and Displaced" helped inspire some of this story. Set in a low chaos, no-kills Emily run between The Good Doctor and The Clockwork Mansion levels. This is a sequel to "A Long Night In Dunwall".
> 
> This used to be its own story on here, written by me, that I decided to merge with this one. From now on all future additions to this series will be in this story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the fifth version of the story, because I couldn't decide on a storyline I liked until this one. :P  
> Thanks to Vergil1989 for inspiring parts of this story with "Dishonored and Displaced".  
> EDIT: If you're reading these chapters in order, you might notice this chapter is written significantly differently than most of the others. This is because I originally wrote this chapter as a one-off back in April before deciding to add in the rest of the chapters. So, sorry if it comes off as jarring.

As the sun set on Karnaca, Emily Kaldwin entered her quarters aboard the Dreadful Wale, tossing her equipment on the bed as she slumped into the chair at her desk. It had been a little over a week since Delilah took the throne, seven days of traveling to Serkonos, and then the day she'd spent at the Addemire Institute. She’d managed to cure Hypatia of her disease and thus ended the Crown Killer murders, and her blade had yet to truly draw blood, but she still felt uneasy. The memory of Alexi getting stabbed in the stomach and her father being turned to stone were still fresh in her mind. Sokolov was still missing, and seeing just how poor a life so many of her subjects led in Karnaca served to remind her how flippant she usually was as empress, and now she’d realized how that attitude had harmed so many.

She sighed, putting down her pen and got into bed.  She’d have time to think about all this in the morning.

***

The Void. It was the beginning and end of all things, her mother’s heart had told her when she arrived for the first time.  It was as dark and uncaring, callous even to the basic laws of existence as the people of the Empire knew them. She took a breath, tasting the salty air. For a while, she waited, expecting the Outsider to come and say whatever he’d brought her here to say. He never arrived.

Emily raised an eyebrow in silent confusion. Usually, the being would be informing her on the possible effects of her choices by now.

**_“It’s not like you’d listen if it weren’t coming from him.”_ **

She spun around, coming face to face with… herself. This Emily looked far different from herself, a scowl on her face, cold, uncaring eyes shooting daggers into her, and sporting a bloodied blade at her side. The empress took a step back, surprised.

**_“Don’t be so shocked. You know this is how you really look on the inside.”_** The lookalike sneered, glaring at her.

“No, I don’t. I haven’t killed anyone.” Emily stated firmly, but on the inside, her words were hollow. This wasn’t the first time she’d been confronted with self-doubt, but it was the most unsettling instance.

**_“We both know that’s a lie. You haven’t shoved a blade or bullet through anyone yet, but that doesn’t mean you’re innocent. Just ask Alexi.”_ **

Suddenly, Captain Mayhew’s dead body appeared, slumped against a rock made of the same ash-colored material as the rest of the Void.

_**“Oh wait, you can’t because you let her die,”** _ The double hissed out. **"** _ **All that training with Father, and you didn’t do a thing to save her. Speaking of him, where’s he right now?"**  _ It smirked at Emily’s frown.

_**“He must be so proud of his daughter, running away when he’s in danger and allowing her friend to get stabbed by someone she foolishly trusted. What was Ramsey’s punishment for murdering our friend? Giving him exactly what he wanted!”** _ Corvo’s frozen form and Ramsey holding a bloody sword appeared, as unmoving as Alexi.

“There was nothing I could do…” Emily was beginning to grit her teeth.

**_“Like with Mother? You could have called for the guards then. You could have picked up a sword and fought Delilah, or killed Ramsey. You did none of these. You could have prevented the coup if you cared enough to pay attention.”_ **

Deep down, Emily thought it all to be true. She’d let many of her loved ones die through her negligence as empress.

**" _Of course, that’s just from the coup. You didn’t seem too bothered by Callista suddenly not writing anymore. Do you know where she is? Probably the bottom of the Tyvian Sea. But you wouldn’t know, considering that you didn’t send anyone to look for her ship. You didn’t care about the people in Serkonos until you had to deal with them. How many lives have you destroyed through your ignorance?  All these deaths and more are on your hands.”_**

Emily looked to the ground, almost certain that the corpse of her former governess would appear next to the others. Despite her weak protests, she found herself agreeing with the doppelgänger. It was, after all, simply her regrets given form.

**_“You’re as much of a murderer as Delilah, you just won’t admit it. I’m you, but more honest!”_** It yelled. **_“If Wyman knew what you were, she’d hate you. She’d never want to see-"_**

It stopped, suddenly falling limp. When she looked up, Emily saw the familiar shape of a sleep dart in its arm. She spun around, confused. The bodies were gone when she looked up, and then she noticed her.

“Wyman?”

The princess of Morley approached, a small smile on her face. She looked exactly the same as the last time she’d seen her, still donning her frilly purple suit and silk gloves. When she got close, she hugged Emily.

“Hello, love. I can’t tell you how good it is to see you,” She pulled back slightly to look at the disgraced empress.

“I can’t either… wait. Wyman can’t aim with a crossbow that well. This is a dream… you aren’t real.” Despite how real it had felt, she still remembered going to bed aboard the ship before this. While she had never been a lucid dreamer in the truest sense, she could sometimes remember the difference while dreaming.

“Or maybe I’m actually an incredible shot and just never showed you, and I’m real.” Wyman winked. “Or perhaps you’re right, and this is a dream. Either way, I’m not here for myself. I’m here for you, Emily. You need to stop blaming yourself for everything that’s gone wrong under your rule.”

Emily rolled her eyes at this. “Most of it IS my fault. If I’d paid attention-“

“If you paid attention, what would have been different? The Duke would still be ruling Serkonos. There would still be Crown Killer murders. Whoever this Delilah is, she would have still come for you. There’s nothing you could have prevented on your own.”

The figment(?) Wyman put her hand on Kaldwin’s shoulder. “You’re blaming yourself for things that can’t be changed and weren’t your fault. You think that you’re responsible for all the wrongs in the Empire while ignoring all the good you’ve done for it. Dunwall was in ruins before you took the throne, and it became the pinnacle of success in the Empire. You convinced the other Isles to reinstate trade and made it even better than it was. Even now, you refuse to end lives when there is another way, despite all that’s been done to you. Do you really think I’d love you if I thought you a monster?”

Emily was left in thought. She didn’t think of it often, but she supposed she had done some good during her time. However, while the former empress was beginning to move in a better direction, she was still in a somber mood. The imaginary Wyman frowned, and for a few moments, was lost to her thoughts. Suddenly, she smiled.

“I know something that will cheer you up. Let us go somewhere more familiar, shall we?”

Suddenly, the cold, uncaring sights of the Void disappeared, replaced with the Imperial Safe Room, notably lacking a certain traitor. The Morlish woman walked over to the bedroom section, and appeared to be looking for something. Emily hadn’t noticed it until now, but the Heart was still with her, beating quietly inside her coat. With this realization came a thought: _"_ _What if I used the Heart on Wyman?"_

She bit her tongue. How could she doubt her? She’d never given Emily reason to doubt her… but then, neither had Ramsey and her guards, or Burrows so long ago. Slowly, she pulled out the mechanical monstrosity and pointed it at the back of the younger monarch.

_'Her love for you true, and she would die for you if need be,'_  her mother’s voice whispered out. Emily sighed in relief. _'B_ _ut she hides a dark part of herself from you, and everyone else. She would rather die than admit it.'_

Another squeeze.  _'T_ _here is more to her than you may ever know.'_

Kaldwin was surprised and confused by the development. What could Wyman have to hide even from her? While nobody seemed to see the Heart, she put it back in her coat just in case. Just as she was opening her mouth to question her directly, her lover turned around and spoke first.

“Hmm. I can’t seem to find that white leaf tobacco I left here… well, there’s other ways to cheer you up.”

She beckoned Emily to come closer. The woman complied, but she hadn’t forgotten her point.

“Wyman? You know you can trust me with anything, right?” Emily asked, voice warm but laced with concern.

Wyman froze for a second, but quickly recomposed herself. “Of course. There’s nothing I don’t trust you with. Then again, I might just be part of the dream. Wouldn’t it be better to ask me in person?” She paused again, looking deep in thought, before she grinned and looked Emily in the eyes.

“I’ll show you how much I trust you~” With that, Wyman put her hands to her sides, thumbs inside hem of her pants, and she pushed down, revealing herself to her love. Her skin was a slightly tanned cream color, her knees and thighs nimble but firm. Her slit was dry, but feeling the air and Emily’s eyes up on made Wyman’s sex begin to warm and slicken.  She let go of her pants and white panties and moved her hands up to her coat, tossed aside the accessory, and unbuttoned her shirt until it fell loosely at her sides, revealing her bare D-cup breasts, her nipples beginning to harden. She shrugged off the shirt and stepped out of her boots and discarded pants, leaving her gloves the only accessory remaining.

Emily watched on, surprised and aroused. It had been a while since she’d seen Wyman, let alone felt her touch, not since she left for Morley a month ago. Seeing her love, even as an echo in a dream, was comforting.

“I’ll let you do anything you want to me, Emily. I surrender to you.” She spoke softly, still looking her in the eyes, before moving in and kissing her on the lips. She placed her hands on the other woman’s hips, seeming to wait for permission. The way her tongue eagerly pushed passed Wyman’s lips made her response obvious. While Emily usually preferred being submissive to Wyman, letting her take the lead, she did sometimes wonder how being dominant felt. As such, she decided to take the opportunity.

A minute later, Emily was just as naked as the woman of her life, nothing remaining but the make-shift glove on her left hand. Arms wrapped around Wyman, she pushed them both onto the bed, allowing herself this pleasure in the storm. She let one of her arms loosen, moving it down south and brushing past the Morlish princess’s navel  and lingering just above her sex. She teased, rubbing around the outer edge of her pussy, eventually tracing a finger down its lips. Her specimen gasped, pushing her lower half up towards Emily’s fingers. The former empress complied, sticking in her index finger and gently rubbed her inner walls, stroking her clit with her thumb. She broke off the kiss, adjusting herself so that her head was next to the woman’s large breasts, glancing up to look at her face. Wyman seemed to realize what she was planning, a smile growing on her face alongside a blush.

Inserting her middle finger into her love’s slick hole, Emily put her tongue out and dragged it across the princess’s rock-hard nipples, eliciting an excited pant. With her left arm, she groped the left breast, squeezing the nipple between her fingers while she drove her tongue across the under-boob, taking the flesh in between her lips, sucking on it and gently nibbling, leaving small marks. She moved up, taking the right nipple in between her lips and teeth and sucked. She drew it up and down as her fingers twitched inside Wyman, leaving her hissing in equal parts pleasure and pain. By now, Emily was grinding herself against the brunette’s knee.

She started picking up the pace, petting Wyman’s clitoris quickly, and putting in a third finger. She was moaning loudly at this point, pleasure leaving her thoughts in a haze. She was running her fingers through Emily’s hair, pushing her gently down to her nipple. With her other hand, she was rubbing the empress’s hips, grabbing a handful of her ass and squeezing, producing a muffled but happy-sounding noise from the woman currently sucking her tit.

Wyman was nearing the edge, showing it through her ever quickening breaths and shaking hands. Emily took note, putting in a fourth finger and going even faster. She glanced up, looking at Wyman’s face. She had a drunken smile when she could keep her mouth closed.

“O-oh, Emily, I’m-I’m-!” She stopped abruptly, as seconds away from her climax, Emily pulled her fingers out and removed her mouth from her nipple. The empress was grinning, making the denied orgasm sting even more.

Emily got on her knees and clambered over to Wyman. She held up her fingers, still slick with the princess’ excitement.

“Look at the mess you’ve made on me. Clean it.”

Wyman blushed heavily. She’d done this to Emily so many times, loving the desperate, needy look in her eyes and the quiver of her breath. It almost felt better having it done to her. She complied, licking Emily’s fingers clean. The sensation kept her aroused despite not having her aching pussy attended to.

Based on how Emily’s breath hitched slightly, Wyman took it as a sign that she was finding this just as thrilling as she was. Then, the empress pushed her hips forward, leaving Wyman looking directly at Emily’s dripping vagina.

“Serve your empress~” Her voice was warm, eager, and sultry.

The Morlish princess complied as Emily lowered herself, beginning the familiar act of eating the Empress of the Isles out. Her tongue traced up and down Emily’s slit before slipping in between her eager folds, eliciting a happy little gasp. Emily pushed herself forward, resulting in Wyman’s tongue getting pushed further inside. She gently lapped at her walls, slowly dragging her tongue across the sensitive flesh. With her hands, she caressed her love’s breasts, giving them firm squeezes and rubbing her nipples with her gloved thumbs.

She moved one of her hands up and down Emily’s hips and thighs, cupping her ass. She moved her lips, taking in the clit under her top lip. Suddenly, Emily stood up.

“You’ve done well. I think you deserve a reward…”

She turned around, lowered herself, and then laid on top of Wyman with her face in the other woman’s crotch, Wyman in a similar position. She wasted no time on foreplay, immediately putting her tongue on Wyman’s clit and licking it. She moaned happily into Emily’s pussy before continuing. She lapped at the empress’ wet sex, savoring her sweet taste.

Her tongue was quite familiar with Emily’s inner walls, and knew all the right areas to hit. With the tip of her tongue, she flicked at Kaldwin’s g-spot, leaving her moaning and whimpering into Wyman’s mound, in turn arousing the brunette even more. With her hands, she fondled her breasts, squeezing them and pinching her nipples to accentuate the pleasure.

During this, Emily’s own skilled tongue had been driving the Morlish princess back to her near-climax state. Sensing that they were both near the edge, she picked up the pace, moving her tongue faster and groping herself harder. However, Emily took out her tongue and stood up, denying both of them a climax. She looked at Wyman with the same evil grin as before.

Wyman was about to voice her frustration when Emily repositioned herself, facing the bemused princess, and then put one of her legs beneath the others. Wyman had a few seconds to realize what Kaldwin was doing before the empress shoved her hips forward, mashing their soaked, desperate cunts together. As they rubbed against each other, they yelled in pleasure, Emily thrusting over and over until they both came, their juices mixing together.

She collapsed onto Wyman, accepting her embrace.

“I love you, Emily. It’s time to wake up.”

***

Emily woke up, still in her cabin aboard the ship. She looked around, everything seemingly to be in place. She sighed, sitting up. She felt dampness between her legs, confirming that she had indeed climaxed in her sleep. Emily smiled to herself. It was just a dream, but it left her feeling far better about herself. She’s still Emily Kaldwin, not the butcher she saw in her dreams.

***

Wyman stirred, rising from her desk. She smiled slightly once the initial drowsiness wore off. The object in her hands was glowing a red-ish orange before fading. She didn’t like using corrupted bonecharms, but she couldn’t deny that they were powerful. Opening a part of the desk, she placed the mish-mash of whale bone with the others, enough of the heretical artifacts to give an Overseer a heart attack. She leaned back in her chair, sighing as she felt a familiar buzz in her left hand. What happened wasn’t a mere dream.

“Oh, bien sûr...…” She squeezed her fist, seeing the equally familiar symbol glowing in her hand. She stared at it for a moment before dispelling it. ‘I’ll have to tell her one day…”

She pulled off the glove, revealing the Outsider’s mark.

“One day…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah. Wyman's marked in this series, and I have an idea for a longer, more story-based work based on this concept. Feel free to use the idea for your own stories, and please let me know how you enjoyed this story and if you'd like to see more.  
> EDIT: Well, this certainly became funny in hindsight, considering how much of this story overall has ended up not being porn. Probably one of the weaker chapters I've written, honestly, but eh, not much that can be done aside from a full rewrite of this chapter, which I just don't have time for. Anyways, I have an actual plan for this twist now, so it's not just an ass pull for the hell of it. 
> 
> It's a headcanon of mine that Emily is a bit insane, just barely holding it together after everything she's been through. This is partly because of how insane she becomes during a high-chaos run, especially if you kill Anton and Megan.
> 
> If you're wondering what Wyman said there at the end, "bien sûr" is French for "of course", though only when paired together. Otherwise bien means good, and sûr is sure.


	7. Minds Like Clockwork - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the first of Duke Abele's allies dealt with, Emily follows the path to Jindosh's mansion and encounters the Howlers for the first time along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, things have been rather busy on my end. The Clockwork Mansion was originally one chapter, but then I realized just how fucking long the thing was, so I split it up. This is just story things, some comedy, and set up, the smut is in part two, which is coming shortly. Thank you for your patience, dear readers.

Emily awoke blearily, blinking as the soft, dim light of her cabin filled her vision. She arose from the bed, shaking her head to wake up fully. _“Ugh… wake up, Emily. Anton’s not going to just save himself.”_ She mentally scolded, standing up and stretching. It had been three days since she had saved Dr. Hypatia, the woman moving into the former storage room the following day while Emily was sleeping. _“I wonder if Meagan has any more passive-aggressive notes planned…”_ She thought, slightly bitter at the sarcastic note the captain had left on her desk the day Alexandria moved in. _“Yes, I do know Whale Oil is expensive. I also know that there’s barely any whales being found these days.”_

The desk in question was starting to hold quite the collection of novelties. Samuel’s boat, a Grand Guard helmet she nicked off a sleeping Elite Guard, the syringe she used to cure Hypatia, and an old Serkonan guitar were placed on it and the shelves above, somewhat of a memento of her adventures so far. Stepping out of her room, she found Meagan leaning against the wall, the captain looking at her as she approached. “Morning, empress. Or afternoon, rather. I think you should talk to Hypatia before we head out, she seems better than when she arrived.” She said flatly, getting off the wall and heading above deck before she could reply. Emily sighed, shaking her head.

“ _I_ _t’s obvious she’s anxious to find Sokolov. For all our sake, I hope he’s still alive.”_

Regardless, she entered the doorway to Alexandria’s room, knocking on the hull to make her presence known. The doctor looked up at her, her tired face brightening slightly at seeing the empress. “Oh! You’re here… stay a moment, would you?” She asked softly, getting to her feet to greet the woman properly.

“Of course. May I ask you some questions?” She inquired in return. The doctor nodded. “Can you remember anything useful to me? I need to find Anton Sokolov. He could be the key to unraveling the Duke’s plans… and he’s a close friend.”

Hypatia held her chin, looking like she was concentrating deeply. “My memories are disjointed,” She admitted, shaking her head slightly. “But the duke is close to his grand inventor, Kirin Jindosh, but that man has the empathy of a mantis. He seems to both admire and despise Sokolov. We… visited Aramis Stilton. I liked him, but something terrible happened. Just snatches of memory, sorry.” The doctor apologized, looking downward. Emily put her hand on the woman’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Thank you. You should rest easy for a while, maybe some of that will help.”

“I hope so. I’m not sure I even fully understand what you did for me, but I owe you for helping me at Addermire. Thank you. It’s not much, but I was able to bring some of my precision scalpels. Perhaps you’d have a use for them?” She said, reaching onto her desk and giving Kaldwin a small leather case presumably filled with the tools. Giving an appreciative smile, the empress left the room. “Oh, and Emily? Please be safe.” Hypatia called out.

_“I can try, but I AM breaking into the home of the most brilliant man in Karnaca. His clockwork monstrosities will be there, at the very least.”_

Above deck, the sunset cast its brilliant orange light across the island and the sea, glimmering in the waves. _“Under different circumstances, I would love a view like this,”_ Kaldwin mused as she walked towards the captain. The older woman gave a nod of acknowledgement.

“Let’s hope your friend doesn’t sink the boat while we're gone. Ready?” She asked, tone impatient. Emily rolled her eyes as she pulled up her scarf, nodding.

“Ready. It’s time to pay Jindosh a visit.”

***

“Jindosh is important to the duke’s council. The Grand Guard watches his house, and they’ll call down the entire city if they find out who you are.” Meagan explained as they pulled into a sewer entrance.

“I’ll make sure they don’t.” She replied simply, waving her hand. “You were saying there was a wall of light cutting off access to the carriage station?”

“Yes, but there’s a black market shop nearby. They sell on the sly. Ever use a rewiring tool?”

“Corvo taught me the theory,” She replied, giving a slight shrug. “It can’t be that hard to figure out.”

“Good. Get past the wall of light, ride the carriage to Jindosh’s home, and get out after it’s done. There’s a reason people are afraid of his mansion.” Foster summarized, adding extra weight to the last sentence.

“I’ll get it done.” Emily promised. As she started to climb out of the boat, Meagan gripped her wrist firmly.

“Emily, kill this crazy man and his clockwork soldiers and bring Sokolov back. He means a lot to me.” The captain uttered, tone hard as she looked the younger woman in the eyes.

“I will. I’m not coming back without him.”

After a moment, the captain released her grip, allowing Emily to step onto the makeshift dock. _“Perhaps there’s a way to do this without having to kill Jindosh. Hopefully.”_ She mused, walking out into the alleyway. Almost instantly, the Heart started to beat softly, increasing speed as Kaldwin turned towards an apartment building on her left. “That’s the first stop, then.”

She pulled herself onto the street above, followed by a tether onto a streetlamp and into an open window. Inside, the apartment was dirty and covered in dust, seemingly abandoned. “Oh, that would be why,” She whispered after turning to her right and finding a corpse next to a shrine in the middle of a large room. Walking up to it, she took a breath before reaching out to it, the world burning away to white once more.

***

The Outsider was crouched on top of a rock, wearing the same small, eerie smile as always. “Let me tell you a story about Kirin Jindosh, the prodigy from Karnaca. Self-taught, he was hailed by the Academy of Natural Philosophy as a genius that would surpass Sokolov and bring about an age of enlightenment.” He vanished into black smoke, reappearing right next to Emily as if it were the most casual thing in the world. “But just two years after his arrival, he was banned from the academy for life, for reasons that are still not public. When they deported him,” He said as he turned around, walking across the small island in the Void. “He left behind a machine that drank seawater and played music that brought its listeners to tears. They promptly took it apart, and of has never worked since.”

***

Emily blinked, finding herself back in the real world. “For the third time in a row, he’s brought me there and sent me back before I can say a word. Was he this way with Corvo, or does he do it specifically to toy with me?” She pondered, sighing. “That explains Jindosh’s bitterness towards Sokolov, I suppose. It would be too risky to drop down to the street with all these people walking around. I should go through these apartments to find a path to the black market.” She decided, entering the kitchen on the house before slipping out the front door. As she descended down the stairs, she heard a dreadful buzzing sound. “Bloodflies. Of course,” She huffed, taking out her pistol and blowing the nests apart. She entered an open door into an apartment with a body on an operating table. “Disgusting,” She mumbled as she hesitantly took up the sleep darts from nearby. Deeper in, it was filled with bloodflies and bodies, the empress destroying another pair of nests as she wandered to a desk opposite the operating table. As she read through the book on the desk, she shook her head. “They got themselves killed trying to meet the Outsider. If only they knew how disappointed they’d be,” She said as she set the book down, stepping out of the apartment. Down the next set of stairs, and she was in the shadows of the street, sneaking past a couple citizens until nobody was looking and she pulled herself onto a streetlamp overlooking the front of the station. Across the street, she spotted an alley with a pair of hands painted on the wall with an arrow. _“Down there, then.”_ She thought as she reached behind a guard barricade, rushing past the guards when they were busy. The area past the alley was lit by a spotlight towards the back, another graffitied symbol pointing down the stairs. She walked down them, quietly entering the shop. The woman tending it gave a start when she first saw the silhouette, relaxing only slightly when the details of the visitor became visible.

“I don’t know you…” The blond shop owner stated accusingly, tone drenched in suspicion.

“I’m new to Karnaca. I need a rewiring tool, one that can let me bypass the Grand Guard’s wall of light.” Emily replied simply.

“I can help you, but not right now. Don’t even linger here. Paulo is coming, and he’s someone you don’t want to meet. Come back later.” The dealer said, backing away slightly. Emily gave a nod, leaving the shop and heading back up the stairs.

_“This Paulo must be the local gang leader. I could do something about him if I knew where he were…”_ She thought as she reached the top of the stairs and found herself confronted by three people, two of them already reaching for their swords. The other one wore a dirty suit, walking in front of the two and straightening up.

“Who do we have here?” He asked, his ratty face putting on a slight grin. “I wonder why your face is covered, lady.”

“That’s my business. Who are you supposed to be?” She retorted, fingers twitching in preparation inside her fists.

“I’m Paulo. In this part of town, everything is my business, and slumming rich kids should remember all that etiquette they learned. Maybe you need another lesson, puttana.” He said coolly, crossing his arms as his colleagues drew their swords.

“Finirà male per te.” She replied in Serkonan, drawing her crossbow and firing sleep darts into his backup. He drew his own blade, Emily repelling it deftly as the sparks from the clash illuminated the alley. She ducked under his next strike, rolling behind him as his compatriots’ unconscious bodies finally hit the ground.

“I’ll keep that nice scarf of yours when I’m done. I’ll feed the rest to the bloodflies!” He taunted as he threw a small vial of something, Emily launching it back at him with a well-timed swing of her sword. It hit him in the face, leaving him yelling out in pain as a pink gas erupted from it and went into his eyes. Taking the opportunity, she pushed her left hand forward and summoned her shadow hand, grabbing the gangster by the shoulder and lobbing him at her. She punched him in the neck as his still-screaming form flew at her, knocking him out.

_“Well, that was simple enough-”_ She began in her mind before an ear-shattering hiss filled the air and a swarm of rats streamed from where the man’s body had been. “The fuck?!” She yelled out in surprise as the rats started chewing at her ankles, swinging her sword at them desperately. The rat blood soaked her blade, painting the blade crimson by the time the last of the rats fled. “What kind of magic is that?” She huffed out. She heard a noise behind her, spinning around to find a beggar looking at her, in the middle of standing up.

“I didn’t see anything, ma’am. I swear.” He said, voice tense.

_“Damn it. I should have checked if people were around before I entered the shop.”_ She scolded herself.

“Don’t worry. Unless you’re planning on attacking me, I won’t hurt you.” She explained, collapsing her blade and restoring it to her belt. The man slowly relaxed, sitting back down. “Consider this a gift,” She said as she fetched 10 coin from her coat and put it in his pot of money.

“Oh, thank you, ma’am. I’ll let you in on a secret: I’ve seen people coming and going around here, looking for whale oil. Up to something. I saw some people messing with those glass panes up on the roof of the station over there. Might be something you’re interested in.”

“Thank you,” She said, nodding before she picked up the sleeping Holwers and stuck them inside a nearby trash bin. Heading down the stairs and into the shop, she found the shudders down. “It’s okay, Paulo won’t be bothering you tonight,” She called, knocking on the shudders lightly. They slowly came back up, the shop owner visibly surprised.

“I can’t believe you’re still alive after crossing Paulo,” She stumbled out, waving her hand.

“I trained with better. _Much_ better.” The fugitive replied with a shrug. The other woman nodded, finally relaxing.

“Well, what can I help you with?”

***

Much like her first foray in Karnaca, she left the shop armed to the teeth with a couple dozen sleep darts, more stun mines, and a rune. Unlike last time, however, she also stocked up on lethal equipment: bullets, grenades, and some upgrades to her pistol. It barely even looked like it used to, with a three-shot cylinder, built-in repeating lever, and an external brace to allow it to fire the entire magazine in mere seconds. _“It should put a dent in those Clockworks, at least. Hopefully, anyways…”_ She mused as she slipped out of the alley, Far Reaching onto a streetlamp nearby to the station. _“Those glass panes the beggar mentioned were probably skylights. It’ll be better to just sneak through one of them than fiddle with a wall of light.”_

While the streetlamp was relatively nearby, it was still quite a jump, even for her. Starting from the back of the end of the light, she leapt towards the station, reaching out with her shadowy limb to pull her to the top, the dark appendage stretching six feet and just barely managing to get up it. “I can’t believe I managed that,” She lightly laughed to herself, sinking off the railing and onto the roof. Finding a pair of open skylights, she quietly dropped down into the station, sneaking past a couple of guards distracted by their conversation. She slipped into the carriage and pulled the lever, the loud siren letting the guards spot her just before she departed.

“Stop! Come back here! … Fuck.” One of them called out as the carriage delivered her to Upper Aventa.

The sunset shined down on the city more clearly here, bathing the mountain range and buildings in a warm, inviting orange light. “It’s beautiful,” Emily whispered to herself as she looked across the landscape, the carriage going up the hilly environment. “If I were here by choice, I’d probably enjoy it.”

A minute later, the carriage arrived in Upper Aventa, a closed gate blocking the rest of the path. _“I can see Jindosh’s manor from here. I’ll need to either find the code or another way around,”_ She concluded, dropping to a crouch. None of the guards seemed to notice the carriage arrival, despite the siren. _“Seems Luca isn’t hiring Karnaca’s best and brightest. No wonder the Howlers have managed to get such a grip on the city.”_ She slipped inside a guard post, pulling herself up the stairs in the room when the desk sergeant was busy using a typewriter.  

“Give me some Clockworks, I’ll clear out the Dust District!” She heard one guard confidently boast to his friend, voice muffled by the door.

“I dunno, maybe Tall Boys worked better. People stood up straight when they walked by.” Another one chuckled, Emily rolling her eyes as she crossed the hall and ascending another level. She flicked on her Dark Vision, spotting a sleeping Elite guard through the wall, the red outfit showing his rank even through the amber tint of the Void’s gift. _“There we go,”_ She thought to herself as she opened the door to the room and snuck up to his desk. She slowly reached her hand to his belt, stealing a key, gun and a pouch of gold. On the desk was the code. “554,” She whispered to herself, nodding. A few minutes later and she was back in the carriage, riding up to Jindosh’s manor. She walked up the stairway, marveling at the large building. “The mansion has a strange beauty to it,” She admitted out loud. “Hopefully there’s a way to end this without killing Jindosh.”

***

The entry hall of the manor was long room, tables at different points around it. Directly in front of the doorway was a table with an audiograph and a plate of food on it. “Alright, stop one genius and save the other. Simple enough,” She said, walking over to the audiograph and activating it while picking up an apple.

“Welcome to my home, stranger. The door is always open to those who have the will to pass the threshold.” A man’s voice came out, tinny from the audiograph. “If you’re here by appointment, then proceed and bide your time. Otherwise, I’d be remiss if I didn’t inform you about the defensive mechanisms employed here, which are quite formidable. Many have entered without invitation, for reasons and myriad as the fish in the oceans. But of those who have dared to explore further, very few have made their way back out.”

The audiograph clicked to a stop as Emily finished her apple. “What kind of a man _likes_ _it_ when people break into their house?” She asked rhetorically, setting down the apple and continuing through the doorway. The next room was sparsely decorated, nothing but a few pictures on the wall and some display cases, along with a lever next to a rug. The hall leading from it was a dead end. “Well… let’s see what this lever does.”

When she pulled it, the room shifted around her, walls sinking into the floor and ceiling to reveal a much grander room. “Who would build something like this, and why?” She whispered to herself. Seconds later, a Clockwork rose up from in front of her. “Shit!” The empress called out in surprise, unsheathing her sword. A voice came on over an unseen intercom.

“Ah, I see someone has activated one of the mechanisms in my home. Welcome, visitor! My house is always open.” The Clockwork still hadn’t moved, simply gazing at her endlessly. "It is one of my great curiosities, how a common mind navigates these shifting rooms. I’m Kirin Jindosh, but you must know that. Before you stands an invention that will endure beyond my time: the Jindosh Clockwork Soldier.” At this point, Emily tuned him out, walking around the Clockwork and going up the stairs at the end of the room. “Well, that’s rather rude. I invite you to meet face to face, seeing as how you’re already coming up these stairs. Come over to the glass door, here on the upper hall,” He announced. She walked up to the door, seeing a long hall without a floor, leading to a drop off the mountainside. At the end, she could see the outline of a man pulling a lever.

“Now I think I understand,” He said as a walkway formed from the wall. “Now that I’ve seen you, I’ve worked out who you are. Not a hired cutthroat, your clothes are too fine. An aristocratic thrill-seeker? That’s closer…” At this point, he was nearing the end of the hall, mere feet from Emily. “You’ve trained with weapons formally, but you’re not a salon fencer. There’s some back alley to your movements…” He reached the end, just behind the glass door. This close up, the woman could see that he was missing some fingers, glossy white porcelain replacing his tan skin. It seemed to work as a pipe, a flash of recognition in his eyes as he looked into hers. “All that, and you have your father’s eyes, your Imperial Majesty.” Jindosh grinned widely, giving a mock bow as she raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. “Welcome, Lady Emily Kaldwin.”

She rolled her eyes at his mock-formality. “Impressive, Jindosh. It would have been more impressive if I’d covered more than half my face and didn’t have wanted posters on every street corner, however,” She retorted, grinning under the mask as he deflated slightly, his lips straightening. “If you know who I am, you must also know why I’m here.”

“I’d assume my involvement with the duke brought you to my door. Or perhaps old, washed-up Anton Sokolov, comfortably residing in the assessment chamber? Either way, come find me, and take whatever it is you seek. But if you fall, I will have your body brought to my lab for dissection and study!” He said, voice darkly amused. “Until either comes to pass, your secret is safe with me.”

“I’ll see you soon, Jindosh,” She sing-songed out, playing up her cheerfulness to try to intimidate him. _“If he thinks I’ve gone mad, I can keep toying with his expectations and make myself unpredictable.”_

He seemed to walk slightly faster down the hall, so it might have worked. When he reached his lab, he pulled another lever, causing the room to shift again and bring up two Clockwork soldiers. “Clockwork Soldiers! There is an interloper in my home! Deal with her, would you?”

Swinging around, Emily spotted them stalking towards her moments before one of them lunged, the empress rolling out of the way seconds before the spot she had just been in was crushed under wood and steel. She drew her crossbow, firing a shot into its head but only shattering the armor. The other one charged her, flinging its blades at her erratically. She blocked the first two swings, ducking under the third and stabbing it in the leg. It stumbled, but regained its balance as its partner approached. Emily fired another arrow into its head, finally breaking the cameras it used to see. “Playback indicates the head of the machine has been destroyed… whatever, it’ll kill them all,” Jindosh’s pre-recorded voice huffed out in annoyance.

_"The arrow didn’t destroy it, but it blinded it. I might be able to get them to fight, if I can get somewhere safe… there!”_ She thought, reaching up to a chandelier and jumping between the others, making the remaining fully operational Clockwork lose track of her. Then she fired another arrow into it, drawing the attention of the blind Clockwork. It charged the other, slashing blindly at it as the other registered it as hostile, defending itself by blocking the swings and lopping off the blind machine’s arms. It finished its partner off by shoving all four blades into its chest and ripping outwards, shredding the thing.

_“By the Void. I’ll take that as a warning of what Clockworks do to me if I get caught,”_ She mused as she pulled the pin on one of her grenades, blowing the remaining Clockwork to bits.

“Good show! You’ve managed to take down some of my Clockworks. Surprising, given your coddled upbringing.” He taunted over the speakers.

“It wasn’t that hard, Jindosh. It helps that your machines are about as incompetent as normal guards!” She called back as she got back to ground level, picking up the head of the CS she destroyed and putting it in her coat. “I’ll be taking these as souvenirs.”

“Then you won’t mind if I take your head when you die?”

Emily didn’t respond, going to the back of the room and pulling another lever.

“Upon reflection, your presence here implies a great deal. It’s very impressive you survived Delilah’s coup and made it down here to Karnaca, all without the aid of your infamous father.”

The room rearranged itself once more, the broken remains of Jindosh’s prized invention disappearing into the inner workings as the floor was changed. With the foyer rebuilt, she returned, chucking another grenade at the machine from earlier. The explosion echoed through the large room, gaining the inventor’s attention.

“Lady Emily, was that one of your explosives or one of my Clockworks?” He asked bemusedly.

“Both!” She cheerfully called back, jumping down to the main room and going through the main doorway in the room.

“Another one… I’ll have questions about that, once I have you restrained. Though rumor has it you like that sort of thing!” He mocked her over the intercom, Emily feeling grateful that her mask was covering her blush.

“We’ll see who ends up restrained by the end of this, Kirin.”

She entered the hallway, taking a left. At the end of the hall were a pair of guards and a resting machine, the empress dropping to a crouch. “Sounds like somebody’s in the building. Should we wake the Clockwork?” One asked.

The other shook her head. “It’ll wake up on its own if a fight starts.” She replied, moments before a pair of arms wrapped around her throat and silently took her down. The male guard fell to a sleep dart, dropping silently as well. Emily slowly passed by the resting Clockwork, taking measures steps to avoid waking it. _“The last thing I need is a Clockwork AND guards trying to kill me at the same time.”_

She went to the right, finding a locked door but an opened window above it, letting her bypass it. As dropped down, hearing a pair of voices in the next room.

“You’d think at these prices, the man wouldn’t keep us waiting!” A woman huffed out an annoyance. Kaldwin flicked on Dark Vision, spotting a man in the room as well. He shook his head.

“There’s only _one_ Kirin Jindosh. He can charge whatever he likes. Besides, you’re rich enough to afford a couple of the Clockworks.” He replied with a wave. Emily avoided them, looking out into the atrium. A guard was pacing around, looking at a lever on the wall.

“Should I bring up the Arc Pylon?” He called out to another guard.

“If someone were in here, the Clockwork would have woken up. There’s no need for it “ He replied lazily, not even looking up from his book. While they were talking, Emily pulled herself behind the nervous one, sneaking past him and going into the elevator.

_“I’ll save Sokolov first, then return for Jindosh. Down to the assessment chamber,”_ She planned out, pressing the button to go down. As it lowered itself to the desired floor, she heard a pair of guards talking.

“Any clue who’s coming down?” One asked, his partner shrugging. Emily turned on Dark Vision, spotting the pair below her.

“No idea. Let’s check it out.” The other man replied, walking towards the elevator.

_“Shit. How should I deal with this… there!”_ The empress thought to herself, spotting a maintenance hatch above her. She jumped up, crouched on the roof of the elevator. It reached the bottom of the shaft with a ding, the guards waiting at the door only to find it empty.

“What? It’s empty? Why would they send down an empty-” The guard began before Emily’s hand grabbed his head and slammed it into his partner’s, knocking the pair out cold. Blinking her eyes, she deactivated her special sight.

“Does hiding your face intimidate your enemies, or merely conceal your own fear?” Kirin asked over the loudspeakers.

“Do you talk to hide yours?” She shot back, walking towards the stairway to the left of the elevator, finding a big glass box.

“Ah, do be careful! This room was devised to test the limits of the Clockwork Soldier. Quite dangerous!” He laughed, ignoring her taunt. “If you’re really looking for Sokolov, that old nag is around here somewhere.”

_“Jindosh has the advantage here, he and his machines know the layout better than I do. Hmm… the whole thing is glass, so I could get a feel for the layout from above it.”_ She mused, jumping down onto the thick glass. Starting from the doorway, she walked along, noting the brown tiles littered throughout. “There he is,” She whispered, spotting him in the middle-left of the room. “The panels probably change the layout, like the rest of the house. I’ll just need to find out which ones to press to get to Sokolov.”

Dropping down to the doorway, she found a note beside a lever. Her blood began to boil as she read through it, crumpling it in her hand as she finished. “What cruelty is this,” She said quietly, raising her voice as she went on. “Is this what the legendary Grand Inventor does? Torture old men and random people until they become mindless drones?” She called out, knowing well Jindosh could hear her.

“I shouldn’t be surprised that you wouldn’t be able to understand the complexities of my work. What’s that saying, ‘to make an omelet, you must break some eggs’? What does a few dozen people dying matter when you’re making a better future for all?” He retorted with a scoff, voice filled with condescension and malice.

“The words of every self-righteous tyrant,” Kaldwin stated with a shake of her head, pulling the lever and stepping inside the chamber. The wall in front of her slid down, a series of walls coming up to surround a brown tile. Stepping on it, the room shifted again, closing the exit and opening an entrance. The Clockwork seemed to notice, rushing over and spotting her.

“Hostile detected,” The inventor’s voice sprung out from it as it raised its blades. Emily pulled herself behind it, slashing at its armor and arms repeatedly before ducking to avoid the razor-sharp blades, the resulting gust of wind blowing her hair around slightly. She struck its right arm, slicing it off at the joint before getting slammed back by the other arm, thankfully striking her with the wooden armor instead of the swords. She hit a column, causing her to stagger and begin falling to the ground before she caught herself. The thing hadn’t begun charging her, though. Instead, it looked like it was powering down.

“Electric shock charged,” Kirin’s tinny voice announced before Emily was struck by a bolt of electricity, warmth and blinding pain surging through her body as she screamed out in pain. She felt her eyes watering even after the shock ended, having fallen flat on the floor from the pain. The Clockwork got back up, starting to approach the smoking heap of a woman. “And so ends the life of Emily Kaldwin; failed empress and historical footnote!” The madman cackled over the speakers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any spelling errors that I missed, I write these chapters primarily on a phone and as such tend to mistype somewhat often, or it gets auto-corrected to something wrong. Hope you all enjoyed, second half is very nearly finished. BTW, if any of you speak Italian, how is mine? Hope I didn't butcher it too much. :P


	8. Minds Like Clockwork - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily gets caught up in a rather perverted trap set by Jindosh before dealing with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Released just in time for Death of the Outsider! Which, BTW, is pretty good so far.

Emily blinked, refocusing on where she was and what was happening. The Clockwork stood above her, preparing to slash down and cut her in half. She desperately rolled to the side, gripping her blade and slashing its kneecap out from under it. It stumbled, stabbing the ground where she used to be as she pulled out her pistol and unloaded the thing into it, the Clockwork exploding into sparks and twitching machinery. “What?! Impossible! That shock is designed to kill you three times over!” He cried out, anger and confusion clearly audible.

“I’m a hard woman to kill, Jindosh. I would have figured you’d know that, considering everything else you’ve noticed.” She replied, holstering the pistol and blade. Taking out an S&P vial, she chugged the medicine down heartily, feeling her strength come back to her. Nearby, she noticed a few planks of wood covering one of the tiles. “Did you really think this would stop me?” She questioned, tearing it off with her void grip before moving on top of it. The room shifted once more, revealing Anton’s room. She approached him slowly, leaning down next to him. “Sokolov,” She addressed as she put her hands on him gently. Her turned towards her, eyes widening.

“Could it be? Is that young Emily Kaldwin?” He asked, a smile forming on his face.

“Save your strength, Anton. I’m here to rescue you.”

“Jindosh has bigger plans than you know, he has an army-”

“I know. I’m going to pay Jindosh a visit too, old friend.”

He laughed softly, though it turned into a cough. “You were an interesting little girl. Now, you’ve become a fascinating young woman,” He said fondly, before he gasped and fell still. Emily panicked for a moment, until she felt him still breathing.

“Let’s get you home, Anton,” She said to herself, slinging him over her shoulder. As she left the chamber, Jindosh spoke again.

“Astonishing, you’ve freed Anton Sokolov! Now what?” He inquired, Emily noticing the elevator she rode down in was now full of guards coming her way.

 _“How can I deal with them without putting Sokolov in danger?”_ She questioned. Spotting a nearby bottle, she got an idea. _“It always seems to come down to bottles. I could attach a stun mine to it and throw it at them, like a grenade. That should work,”_ She conceived, grabbing the bottle and attaching one of her mines to the side. She leaned against the corner of the wall leading into the hallway with the elevator and chucked it, a startled shout being the only noise they made before they all fell unconscious, allowing Emily to casually walk past. _“They’ll be expecting me to take the elevator again, so I’ll need to find another way around.”_

Walking to the right of the elevator, she noticed what most certainly looked like the moving dining room of the mansion, pulling the lever. A minute later, she was back in the atrium, noting a now-active Arch Pylon in the middle of the room and several guards waiting at the elevator. Setting Sokolov down in a chair, she took a breath and pulled herself over to the killing machine, the electricity beginning to run up the coils of the pylon and spark from the top, leaving her slamming the lever down and pulling herself behind a wall. It slid back underneath, being replaced by some instruments. The oblivious-as-always guards didn’t notice. _“I got out of that alive, somehow,”_ She thought to herself, letting out that breath as her heart pounded in her chest. She began creeping back to where she put Sokolov, overhearing the guards.

“You really think it’s Emily Kaldwin down there?” One asked, scratching his head.

“Why else would he have told us it was her?” Another responded, gruff voice rumbling.

“If it is, wanna split the bounty?” A third chimed in as the fugitive in question slipped by with the unconscious natural philosopher in hand.

 _“_ _It seems Jindosh’s word is worth as much as I expected,”_ She thought, shaking her head. As she entered the entry foyer, the Grand Inventor activated the intercom.

“I won’t let you take him. He was the greatest thinker of his time, but now he belongs to _me._ ” He intoned heavily, another Clockwork blocking their path. Emily just used Far Reach, flinging herself past it before it could even notice her fully. Kirin’s strangled cry rang out before she ran out the front doors.

A few minutes later, she was back inside the mansion. “I suppose Sokolov is now safe and sound? And yet here you are again, back for more.” His voice was curious more than anything, the cold rage from earlier seemingly gone. She didn’t reply, dropping to a crouch as she snuck around the Clockwork, staying just outside of its range while moving back into the hallway leading to the atrium. Entering it, the guards were still waiting at the elevator, though a lot less patient based on how some were tapping their feet while others leaned against the glass.

 _“The elevator isn’t an option. I’ll need another way around…”_ Emily thought to herself, surveying the room from the shadows. She noticed a gap in one of the archways at the top of the room, one on the right having a hole about the size of the airduct. She extended her left hand, the Outsider’s mark once more summoning power from the void as she was flung into the duct. Looking around, she saw pipes and catwalks, a danger sign posted to her right. _“The space behind the walls,”_ She noted. She saw a window to her left, opening it slightly before hearing voices, opting to stay hidden.

“Ah, I know where you are. Take care, Lady Emily, for these areas were not meant for people!” Jindosh announced loudly.

“Sounds like the Clockworks haven’t found our intruder yet,” One guard said almost smugly.

“Give them time. Between the Clockworks and room transformations, there’s no chance Kaldwin or whoever it is will get this far into the mansion.” A female guard replied, rather ironically being knocked out by the woman in question moments later.

“Want to bet?” Emily whispered to the unconscious guard, setting her down on the ground. Her colleague hadn’t fair much better, falling face first onto the desk he was looking over. _“Not exactly graceful, but the Clockwork isn’t activated,”_ She mused. The masked felon took a right, heading down a hallway with a pair of closed doors at the end.

“I have come to a new conclusion, your majesty,” Kirin began as she opened the doors to find Jindosh’s studio bedroom. She came across a letter desk as she walked along, stopping to read a letter on it. “It’s clear that Sokolov cares little about being tortured himself, but I doubt he’d be as apathetic if you were in his place. So don’t fear, Lady Emily. I won’t kill you, not yet. You shall be quite useful in persuading that old fool.”

“Over my dead body, Jindosh.” Emily refused, pocketing the letter from the duke. On the balcony outside, she found a bottle of cider and some more fruit. Lowering her mask for a moment, she took a bite of a peach, chasing it with a drink of the cider.

“On the contrary, my lady. You survived a direct shock from one of my Clockworks, so I doubt a mere stun mine or paralysis drug would keep you. So instead, I came to a different conclusion.” Kirin replied, Emily suddenly feeling much, _much_ warmer than she had a few minutes ago. She was now acutely aware of every sensation in her body, especially how her sex suddenly felt as hot as a roaring fire underneath her lacy black thong, how its lips grinded lightly against the fabric, with similar feelings occurring in her breasts, leaving her nipples rock hard. “Aphrodisiacs. Based on how your eyes are dilating, it seems they still affect you fine. I highly doubt you can fight while this aroused, so I'm afraid you don’t have much of a choice.” He revealed, Emily’s eyes widening in surprise alongside the drug. Her cheeks burned hotly, like so much of her body.

“Y-you perverted bastard!” Kaldwin called out, walking to the edge leading to his laboratory to find a mile-high drop, trying to ignore the way her thighs pressed together. _“It’s a long way down… fuck, I could barely walk here with this in my system. No way I could walk along those pipes to the other side like this. I need to-ohhh~... I need to wank. By the void, I’ll slice his crooked cock off for this…”_ She thought, walking back shakily to Jindosh’s bed to do the deed. Her breaths were quick and low with every step until she reached the bed, her heart pounding in her chest and ears as she closed her eyes in frustration and slipped off her boots, moments later pushing down her pants. She didn’t bother taking her fancy panties off, merely pulling the front to the side to expose her glistening pussy. She dropped to the bed, laying on her back with her legs spread wide. Her eyes were filled with hatred and spite as she lowered her left hand down south, right hand still firmly grasping her sword for when Jindosh tried something. Wasting no time on foreplay, her middle and index fingers slipped inside with ease, letting out a light gasp.

“My, my, what a sight to behold! Lady Emily Kaldwin, with her legs spread just for me! Then again, perhaps by the time I’m done putting you through my electric shock machine, that will be the only thing you’re capable of...” He laughed. A crimson dark blush covered her face under her mask, one of uncontrollable arousal, humiliation, and shame at the state she’d been reduced to: made to masturbate in the bed of a man who had every intention of breaking her. Her fingertips pressed against her inner walls furiously, trying to climax as soon as possible in the hope that it would at least temporarily sate her now-overactive sex drive.

“Enjoy it while you can, Jindosh. I'll be the last woman you ever see,” She threatened, though her fingers were two-knuckles deep into her snatch and soaked in the artificially induced excitement from her body. She grit her teeth below the fabric of the scarf.

As she fingered herself, the empress surveyed the room. _“Jindosh will absolutely try something while he has me stuck like this. Right now, if the guards came in or he activated that Clockwork, I’d be caught with my pants down-damn it, why did I HAVE to use that expression right now?! Ugh… I’ll set up some traps from here,”_ She concluded, putting her father’s sword down next to her as she reached for her pants, grabbing the stun mines and arming them before tossing them at the doorway and some at the Clockwork, enough mines set up to knock out a dozen guards at least.

Her digits got three-knuckles deep and curled against the pink flesh of her vagina, drawing a hearty moan out despite herself. Closing her eyes, she began laying out a scene using her imagination.

_Emily was pressed against a washroom sink, lips and tongue going at it with the woman currently hiking up Kaldwin’s elegant white-and-gold dress, fingering the empress gleefully._

A third finger joined halfway into her as it played out in her mind. This wasn’t a mere fantasy, however: it was a memory. _“This was the night I admitted to Wyman that I loved her, all those years ago,”_ She recognized in the back of her mind. _“Some dull Brisby party we had to attend for appearances. We’d had so much wine and whiskey that night…”_ She laughed a bit internally, remembering it fondly. The parts she could remember, anyways, much of the night a blur in her mind.

_Wyman’s right hand was pressed in between Emily's legs while her other was holding her in a half-hug, conveniently letting her grab the empress’ ass. Her fingers rubbed aimlessly just under the woman’s clit, making her gasp and hiss under her breath. “Void, you’re SO fucking wet~” The Morlish princess drunkenly slurred out, breaking the kiss. Emily bucked her hips against her partner’s fingers without thinking about it, the empress almost as drunk as her newly-acquired girlfriend._

_“Oh~, fuck yes, don’t stop Wy!” She replied, one arm pushing against the counter to give her balance whilst the other played with her lover’s ample rack. Wyman adorned a frilly red dress, though it was slightly wrinkled from Emily’s playful gropes throughout the night, and both their lipsticks had smeared through their kiss. Emily had worn her hair down that night, raven-black hair going down to her shoulders standing in contrast to her reddened face._

In reality, Emily groped her tits with her right hand through her clothing, gasping out slightly at the pleasure going throughout her, her folded sword laid carefully on her stomach. She had gone up to four fingers inside her, needily pressing into her cunt to try to satisfy the aphrodisiacs running through her system. They prodded the back of her pussy, callused fingers drenched in artificial excitement while she bit her lip to deny Jindosh the satisfaction of hearing her moan and groan. Thus was the sight Jindosh and the dormant Clockwork Soldier were treated to: Empress Emily Kaldwin with her legs spread as wide as a servant at the Golden Cat while she groped and probed herself rapidly, a hint of a blush residing above her mask and her eyes slightly rolled.

_By now they pushed into one of the stalls in the room, Emily’s lovely dress half-off of her lithe form and wrinkling from Wyman’s uncaring actions to it as she eagerly fondled her c-cup sized prizes. The Morlish woman straddled Emily, grinding her knee against the empress’ sex roughly, making the monarch sing out in approval. Just as she was regaining her bearings, Wyman pushed her hand hard into her cunt, sending hrt spiraling out again. She continued her fingering from earlier, faster and harder to the point of bringing her partner to the edge._

She was quickly approaching her climax, the drug-induced lust and pleasure threatening to override everything else. She squeezed her tits hard enough to hurt, waves of slight pain and massive pleasure rocking through her upper body whilst her fingers clawed at her inner walls and her thumb stroked her clitoris as fast as she swung her sword. A few moments later, she came, eyes rolling into her head and a long, throaty moan escaping her lips as her sex spasmed, her cum gushing out onto her hands and thighs, wave after wave as Emily kept wanking through her orgasm. Her body shook as it finished, the empress panting heavily with one hand still buried in her crotch. _“Fuuuck yes~! I came! I came... but I’m still so bloody turned on… damn Jindosh…”_ She thought to herself, anger mixing with horniness and orgasmic bliss.

Suddenly, the previously-dormant Clockwork Soldier activated with a loud hum. The stun mines activated as it took a step towards her, but to her shock and confusion, the electricity didn’t seem to overload it like the others, the lightning spiraling around the machinery instead of frying it.

“I must admit, after noting how effective electricity is against my Clockworks, I used one that was nearly out of charge in case you used them. Thank you for restoring it to full power,” He informed.

It began charging its electric shock, Emily grabbing her sword and rolling out of the way just as it discharged and bathed the bed in electricity. As she was preparing her next move however, the drugs made themselves known once more, her sex sending pulses demanding attention. She groaned out, her hand returning to it despite her efforts to resist the temptation. She began to shake, one hand slipping fingers in and out of her as she struggled to maintain her stance, sword swaying heavily.

“I believe you can now see why this is so much more entertaining than mere poison,” Jindosh said smugly. “My hypothesis was correct: you cannot appease the aphrodisiacs in your system and fight my Clockworks at the same time. This is how your story ends, your majesty.”

Breathing heavily, Emily spun her sword to readjust her grip while considering her options. _“I can’t fight like this, that’s true. I can’t even hold my sword up, so no sword fighting. With as much as my hand is shaking, that pistol is about as likely to shoot me as it is the Clockwork, and it’s too close for a grenade without killing myself as well. It’s blocking the exit, and running along the pipes are too dangerous right now. How can I destroy it? Wait… perhaps ‘I' don’t have to destroy it...”_

“Damn it… maybe so. But before whatever comes next happens, I have a riddle for you, Jindosh.” Emily called out, trying to stall.

“A riddle, you say? Well, I’ll be able to figure it out in seconds, but I’ll humor you. What is your riddle?” He inquired, Emily beginning to smile underneath her mask.

“Who is the one person an empress can always count on?” She asked, her mark beginning to glow and a cloud of dust forming next to the Clockwork.

“Too easy, your majesty: the Royal Protector.” He replied, sounding almost disappointed.

“No. The answer is herself,” Kaldwin revealed, her doppelganger taking form and leaping onto the Clockwork’s back before shoving a sword through its head. The machine stumbled, blinded and surprised by the new opponent as Emily pulled herself across the room and raggedly shoved her blade through its chest, the thing being reduced to a pile of scrap moments later.

“WHAT?! IMPOSSIBLE! There was no-one else in the room, the Clockwork would have seen it!” Jindosh’s enraged and puzzled voice shouted.

“You’re the genius, Jindosh. You figure it out,” Emily replied, lowering her sword. Spotting the intercom in the top right corner, she summoned her powers once more, tearing it off the wall and silencing the inventor for the moment. A soft groan escaped her lips as she continued to pleasure herself, even as she turned to dispel the shade. However, she hadn’t expected the sight before her: the double, laying on the bed with her long, powerful legs spread invitingly to greet the empress. It was as undressed as the real Emily, causing the woman’s sex to flare once more as her body burned hotter than the sun.

“What…?” Emily began, before being interrupted.

“I am an extension of you, Emily,” It said, voice detached and emotionless but most certainly Kaldwin’s own. “I know what your desires are, and I serve them. If you wish for me to kill someone, I kill them. Need to get to where I am,  we can instantly switch places. Request a distraction, and it will happen. If you desire to speak but cannot, I can express your thoughts for you. Right now, I sense that you want sexual release, so I shall grant it. I am but your puppet.”

Emily raised an eyebrow, eyes widening slightly. “So they- you, can talk. Do you-”

“Think for myself? Somewhat, but my actions depend on you. If that’s what is holding you back right now, I consent. You may begin.” The shade replied as its left hand devolved into shadows, shooting out and grabbing the masked felon’s rear hard enough to make her yelp.

The double got up, slipping off its mask while walking towards Emily and resting her other hand on the empress’ ample breasts. She nibbled her lower neck slightly, drawing a gasp from her woman. Between the aphrodisiacs and how her double was fondling her, Emily’s horniness overruled logic for the time being, ripping the scarf down with one hand while using the other to push the doppelganger into a deep, desperate kiss. Her cheeks burned crimson as she wrapped her free arm around the double’s hips, pushing her towards the bed. Once on it, she rolled, putting the double on top. “What can I call you?”

“... Do I need a name?” The doppelganger replied. At Emily’s nod, it closed its eyes for a moment. “Very well. Call me… Drexel.”

“Fuck me, Drexel~” the empress begged pitifully.

Her clone nodded, face in her crotch moments later. Drexel’s tongue wasted no time on foreplay, inserting itself into Emily and lapping at her folds. It glided across the soft flesh of her vagina, taking in the scent and taste of the disgraced aristocrat turned criminal, fingers kneading her athletic thighs while she planted a kiss on her vulva. Kaldwin wasn’t bothering to stay silent, excited moans and groans pushing past her lips as tingles of pleasure rippled from where ever Drexel’s tongue glazed. A thought hazily crossed Emily's mind that guards might hear her, part of her thinking back to the mines she’d placed down, another part thinking back to when she’d almost gotten caught with Wyman, then started to hope the guards _did_ come in and find her like this. Regardless, she continued playing with Drexel’s hair while the doppel ate her out, a happy squeal coming out as her tongue prodded her g-spot. Drexel latched onto this, diving her tongue into her snatch completely and dancing her tongue on it. Taken by surprise, Emily’s eyes went wide and she was suddenly right back on the edge again. Drexel stopped for one moment, though it felt like a torturous eternity for the poor empress, only for the doppel to spread Emily’s pussy with her hands and go all the way in, her eyes rolling once more as she came, showering Drexel with her affection. She cried out in pleasure as she rode it out, coming to her senses over the following few minutes. _“Yes~! I love it! I… I still need more…”_ She realized. Despite the initial pleasure and bliss, her frustration returned.

“Damn it all… I won’t be able to do anything to stop Jindosh as long as his drugs keep working. I need to find a way to make it stop, not just put it off for a few minutes.” She groaned out loud, letting her head fall back on one of the pillows.

The double seemed conflicted for a moment before shaking its head. “There might be a way to end it, but I doubt you would approve.”

“What would I need to do?”

“As I am just an extension of you, you are able to take direct and full control of my body when needed. However, it would require you leaving your body… permanently. You would be-”

“-Sacrificing my original body.” Emily finished, Drexel nodding. Even despite her undressed state, Emily’s face was deadly serious. “I risk losing my body to the void if I do the transfer, and I risk losing my body and mind to Jindosh if I don’t,” She paused, lips thin as she thought deeply about the offer. “I’ve had to sacrifice a lot in the past days and weeks. One more on the list won’t matter if I can take back my throne... I’ll do it.”

Drexel gave a nod. “Okay. You will be almost exactly the same as you are now, but without the adverse effects, as I understand it.”

Emily focused on her double, feeling the cold of the Void running through her body as she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and activated her mark. A moment later, she opened her eyes, and found herself where Drexel had stood a moment earlier.

 _“I feel… different. My head is clearer, but I feel… wrong. Like something is missing,”_ She thought, looking over herself. Her limbs were still human, and she could feel the icy burn of the Void just under her left hand, showing the mark was still there. _“I don’t seem to be any different physically. The mark feels more… intense.”_

As she gathered her clothes and gear, she dispelled the thoughts. “Focus, Emily,” She whispered to herself. “Whatever’s different doesn’t matter right now. Deal with Jindosh and the Clockworks and then escape. Easy enough,” the empress said, stretching for a moment before starting back to the makeshift path towards Jindosh’s lab. Jumping down onto the pipe, she carefully shimmied across the rusting structured. She climbed up a tall one nearest to the edge of Jindosh's lab, flinging herself over to it moments later. Opening a hatch, she found herself in a storage closet of some kind, an elevator nearby. “Knowing my luck, a Clockwork will cut this one’s cables halfway through,” She quipped. _“How should I play this: try to sneak up on him, or run in, smash the Clockworks, and stab him in the cock for earlier? Hmm… there’s some sticky grenades in here. Those would deal with the Clockworks nicely, so just fighting him sounds fun,”_ Emily decided, casually dropping a grenade at the door before stepping back outside. The wood splintered into thousands of shards as the explosion rocked the building, Emily strolling through the smoke with arms at the ready.

“I hope you’re enjoying blowing everything to bits, young empress,” Kirin called out, seething. Emily’s lips quirked upwards at just how pissed off the inventor was at this point. After a moment, he started up again, now sounding smug. “Did somebody harm you as a child? Oh wait, yes they most certainly did.”

She didn’t dignify him with a response, walking through the lower level of the lab. The Heart began its phantom beating again, pointing Emily towards a rune on a table, a letter nearby. She scowled when she saw that her dear old aunt had signed it, taking no amusement in their shared distaste for the inventor. Pocketing the note, she picked up the rune, and for a moment, the entire world seemed to turn a dark grey. She dropped the rune, but to her surprise it remained floating in the air. The moment passed, and the runes disintegrated like the others. _“Another power, I assume, but what? Stopping time? That would be fantastic,”_ She mused to herself. On a nearby table, she noticed a small, hexagonal object that glowed slightly green. A nearby blueprint proudly displayed the name: “The Jindosh Hook-Mine”.

 _“Could be useful,”_ She thought, pocketing the machine and the blueprints. She flicked on Dark Vision, spotting the faint outline of Jindosh on the third floor. The Clockworks weren’t too far off, patrolling around his desk. Taking a breath, she pulled the lever in the room, raising her up into the lab proper.

“Congratulations, your imperial majesty! You’ve found me at last. You’re only the second person to step into the most sophisticated lab in all of the isles, you know. Try not to damage anything as you die,” He called out, a bullet whizzing past Emily’s head a moment later. She dodged the next shot, the Clockworks jumping down to her. She rolled, avoiding a pair of swords before tossing a sticky grenade at the pair, destroying them moments later. “Oh, of course you’d destroy them instantly! No sense of honor at all!”

“Says the man who tortures people for fun and threatened to make me into a sex slave?” She retorted, using Far Reach to get up to Jindosh’s level.

“Wait-ah, you use the same tricks as Delilah and her flock. I’ll enjoy studying that, right after I put some silver in your imperial skull!” He yelled, firing yet again. Fortunately for Emily, he was a terrible marksman, only managing to hit a display panel behind her. She rushed him, Jindosh barely blocking the attack. He kicked her in the gut, going for a lunge. She moved with the hit, rolling back before slamming Jindosh squarely in the jaw with her fist. He reeled back, blinding firing another shot to keep her back. To her surprise, he laughed. “You were such a boring empress! I prefer you this way,” He shouted. Jindosh fired yet another shot, forcing her to step away, before bolting for the elevator. Time seemed to slow for Emily as she drew her crossbow, firing a bolt into his foot and making him drop his sword. He turned towards her just in time to see that she was already on him, grabbing him by the shoulder with one hand hand holding her sword in the other. “I’ll never understand what Sokolov sees in small minds like yours…” He spat out, glaring at her.

“Welcome to the final mystery, Grand Inventor,” She whispered into his ear, moments later shoving her sword into his crotch. His eyes bugged and a scream started rushing through his lips, only to be cut off with a throat-punch moments later. Pulling her blade out of the still-living man, she cleaned the sword on his shirt. “Well, that was satisfying. Now to use that machine on him,” She said to herself. She checked his desk for any clues, finding only a note from someone named Breeana and more of Jindosh’s sick notes on Sokolov. Grabbing the man in question, she jumped down to the main floor of the lab, and placed him in the chair, slapping his jaw closed. She flicked on a nearby audiograph as she read a note on the nearby chalkboard, noting how to activate the machine. “Jindosh recorded torturing Sokolov… he deserves far worse than even this,” She ranted, flicking the switches to move the layout of the room so that it would allow the machine to operate. As the machine powered up, Jindosh seemed to stir.

“Wha… where am-” He began, noticing the chair and Emily’s hand on the lever. “Oh, no. Please, no, I beg you! Don’t do this!” He cried out. For a moment, Emily hesitated, the man’s pleading making her realize exactly what she was about to do. However, after a moment, she considered everything he had done, and the hesitation burned away. She wordlessly pushed it down, electricity coursing through the wires and into Jindosh’s head. She tuned out his pleas, watching as he shook under the wrath of the machine. _“He did this to Sokolov for fun. He wanted to do this to you. Remember that,”_ She told herself. After a few moments, the machine seemed to burn out, and Jindosh slowly rose from the chair. He seemed confused, like a child in an unfamiliar place.

“I’m very much afraid of what’s happened..,” He said slowly. She began talking towards the walkway leading to the main atrium, feeling Jindosh’s eyes fall upon her. “Please… kill me. Please, make me… die…” He moaned out, making Emily stop in her tracks. She closed her eyes, only to find the bloodied copy of her from her nightmare grinning back at her. Taking a breath, she continued.

***

A few minutes later, they were back in Lower Aventa, Emily carrying Sokolov as she reached up to the roof of the station. She heard voices below her, high-pitched and somehow unnatural sounding. She leaned over the edge to see what it was.

The sight before her was a bloodbath; the corpses of at least half a dozen guards mutilated and tossed around the front of the station, gore and visceral painting the street red. “By the Void,” She gasped out,taking her spyglass to get a better look. In the middle of all of it looked to be three women with pale grey skin, their dirtied swords making them the obvious culprits. They were giggling, one of them smacking a body for emphasis. _“Who are these women? How did they manage to kill all these guards?”_ She questioned. _“I can’t risk getting into an unneeded fight with Sokolov still around. Need to find a path around.”_

She went to her right, in Meagan’s direction, pulling herself onto a lamppost. However, before she could make her next move, a shrill scream filled the air.

“The false empress! She’s helping the philosopher escape!”

She turned to the source; one of the women pointing at her as her skin began to deform and glow a hellish red, her companions disappearing in puffs of smoke. One reappeared on the balcony, and the other-

Emily could only gasp as the witch’s sword slipped through her ribs, shock clashing with instincts the apply pressure. She felt her grip on her old friend lessening until it finally gave way, the man falling off her shoulder and beginning a descent into the street below.

 _“NonononoNO!”_ She screamed in her mind, time coming to a crawl. For a moment, she’d thought it was merely adrenaline kicking in, but then she noticed the grayish hue that was beginning to overtake everything. _“I can still save him! Don’t waste this chance!”_

She took her own sword and slashed at her assailant's knees, summoning a tendril to get away instinctively before realizing she was still on the blade. She howled out as it slashed at her flesh on the way out, but ignored it in favor of using her powers to grab Sokolov out of the air and fling her and her companion as far away from the witches as possible. Her head and body were aching, her hand feeling like it was on fire with how intensely the mark was burning. She’d just barely reached Meagan before the world returned to normal, dropping to her knees with Sokolov in her arms. The captain jumped back, astonished at the empress’ sudden appearance. “Wait, what the-” she started before noticing the glow of Emily’s hand. “Oh, I understand. Sokolov! You did it! How is he?” She asked, unable to hide the joy at seeing her friend again. Emily made a note of Foster’s rather abrupt acceptance of the mark, but focused on the task at hand. She handed her Sokolov, pulling herself into the boat soon after.

“He’s… wounded, but he’ll recover... “ She managed to get out, before the world began fading to black.

“Emily? Emily!” She faintly heard Meagan call, as if they were on opposite sides of a room. The world went dark, and Emily went with it.

***

Emily awoke with a jolt, something she regretted the moment she felt her wound cry out in protest. She felt a pair of soft hands gently take a hold of her, easing her down to the bed. “It’s okay, Emily, you’re not in danger,” Hypatia whispered to her, calming her only slightly. Her heart was still racing in her chest as she tried to remember what happened, looking around to find herself not bleeding out in Aventa, but rather in her cabin aboard the Wale. After a moment, she let herself relax, sinking into the pillow.

“Is Sokolov alive?” The empress questioned without hesitation.

The doctor nodded. “He’s starting to recover. You are as well. That stab would have been fatal to most, you know,” She added, gesturing towards the stab wound now covered with bloodied gauze. “Thank goodness you’re alive, I’m not sure what I-we, would have done without you.”

Emily let out a sigh of relief at the news. “Good. Thank you for helping him, Hypatia. And for saving my life,” She said, trying to stand up only to have Hypatia hold her down again.

“You can’t walk around, your wound has barely started to recover. You need to rest while it heals, doctor’s orders.” Alexandria said firmly, not rudely but leaving no room for argument. Emily opened her mouth to attempt one anyway, but the older woman’s look and the returning throbbing of the wound made her give up.

“... Fine. How long until I can move? How long have I been out, as well?”

“At least another day, assuming the Addermire Solution works to its fullest. Captain Foster arrived about 12 hours ago, and she’d mentioned the trip would take an hour each way, so at least 13 hours total.” Hypatia explained.

“A day… okay. Anything else?”

“Well… you seemed to be talking in your sleep, earlier. Something about Delilah and… your mother,” Hypatia said carefully, trying to avoid bringing up any traumatizing memories. “It looked like you were trying to grab something.”

_“Seeing Delilah in the Void and talking with Mother, probably. Nobody can see the Heart, but they hear me just fine… at least she only thinks it was sleeptalking.”_

There was a knock at the door, Meagan stepping in soon after. “You’re awake. Good, there’s some things I wanted to talk to you about. Privately, if you don’t mind, Hypatia.” She said, the doctor hesitating a moment before nodding and leaving the room. Once the door was closed, Foster and Kaldwin both waited for the other to start.

 _“This is probably about the mark. She didn’t seem to care that much when she saw it, maybe she’s interacted with other mark-bearers before?”_ She figured, facing the woman as much as possible in her current condition. The captain decided to go first, reaching into her coat and handing Emily a newspaper. Upon seeing the front page, she could guess at least part of what Meagan wanted to know.

_‘Famed Jindosh Mansion Raided By Crown Killer! The home of the esteemed Kirin Jindosh, Grand Inventor and creator of the Clockwork Soldiers, was broken into and looted by Emily Kaldwin, the infamous Crown Killer, according to eyewitness testimony from various Grand Guard members. Multiple Clockworks were destroyed as she looted the house, and the Grand Inventor himself was discovered rambling incoherently and bleeding from a stab wound, seemingly damaged beyond repair by whatever the deranged woman inflicted upon him. What does this mean for the future of Karnaca and the renowned Clockworks? Check page five for an editorial discussing this.’_

“Things didn’t go to plan,” Emily began.

“No shit. What happened? Everyone knows you’re in Karnaca now, and seeing as how you showed up to the skiff half dead, that’s going to cause trouble.”

Emily laughed bitterly at that. “It’s not like I ran around with my mask off! Jindosh figured it out just by looking at me, and then broadcasted it throughout the entire building.” Meagan didn't look like she cared, but neither did Emily at this point, only taking care not to mention Jindosh’s perverted trap. “It would have helped if I knew there would be witches there.”

That got Meagan’s attention. “Witches? Are you sure?” She asked, sounding more concerned than anything.

“They could teleport, so I’m fairly sure. One teleported behind me and stabbed me. I don’t normally lose fights, Meagan.” She answered. The captain’s brow furrowed, pinching her nose.

“That… okay. I didn’t think witches had any interest in Jindosh. Another lead, at least,” She replied. She seemed significantly less annoyed now, making Emily wonder if the woman had past experience with witches. “I also wanted to talk to you about the mark on your hand. I get it, you need all the help you can get against Delilah. You just… remind me of someone I used to know, a long time ago. So, I’m guessing that’s how you’re still alive,” She said, pointing towards Emily’s left hand.

“Yes, it’s been incredibly important to getting through all this. It’s obvious why I’d be hesitant to tell anyone about this. I doubt the Abbey would care about why I accepted the mark if they found out I had it.”

After a few minutes of silence, Meagan began walking towards the door. “Emily… thank you. For rescuing Sokolov. I don’t know what I’d do without him. I’ll go finish patching your coat back together.” She said, leaving before the empress had a chance to respond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I decided to go with the original E3 Trailer and say that Emily has Bend Time. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next up, the Dust District, time travel, and more.


	9. Shadow Walks and Small Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While recovering from her wounds, Emily has a chat with the Outsider and gains a new power. It wasn't quite what she expected, however...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter exists because I noticed some continuity errors between Minds Like Clockwork and Royal Exhibit and they drove me absolutely mental until I could fix them lol. Not a smutty chapter, so apologies to those who came here for more of that. I promise the next chapter I upload will fulfill those needs, though. This is mostly just some character development and fixing a couple continuity errors.

The first thing Emily noticed when she awoke was the overwhelming stench of seawater and rot, the chill of the Void making itself known soon after. The empress scowled as she climbed off her cot, looking around in an attempt to discover whoever brought her there.  _ “It doesn’t smell like flowers, so I doubt it’s Delilah. Small comforts, I suppose,” _ she mused. Soon enough, the black-eyed bastard himself appeared, taking from behind Emily.

“Greetings, your majesty,” He began, making Emily jump slightly at first before glaring at him. His lips quivered up ever so slightly at this before he continued. “You have put on quite a show so far, Lady Emily. Running around this dying city, going out of your way to find every shrine made in my honor, eliminating Delilah’s allies one by one, all without taking a single life. Will you continue this, or-” He was interrupted by Emily groaning.

“What are you here for, Outsider? Normally I have to find a shrine before you give me a cryptic lecture. Would you just give a straight answer for once?” She demanded, crossing her arms. If it was possible for him to look gobsmacked, Kaldwin imagined this was the closest she’d ever see. The only visible indication of his indignation was a furrow of his brow and a dismissive turn from her.

“Very well, empress. I felt Delilah’s spirit here. In  _ my  _ Void… I don’t like it. Normally, I would simply wait for you to seek my powers out, but her appearance here broke the rules of the Void. In return, I will take an exception to my rules as well.”

A few moments later, Emily’s mark burned, hotter than at any of the shrines, almost as hot as when it was branded into her hand. Images of runes and bone-charms being broken and remade flashed before her eyes, almost too fast to process. By the time the assault on her senses was over, the Outsider had reappeared to her left. She felt the early signs of a headache coming on on top of the lingering burning of her mark, about to ask what had happened before he spoke again.

“Many spend their entire lives trying to understand even a sliver of the Void. The most determined among them learn how to craft tributes with powers from the Void; an ability I’ve given to you.” He explained.

Emily, despite her headache, found that she could recall the steps on how to build a rune as if she’d done it all her life.   _ “Officially a witch now, I suppose.” _

“Do entertain me, your highness. I will be watching,” He said, the world becoming a familiar blinding white.

***

In the following hours, the empress had laid out all of her collected bone-charms, making notes on what effects they seemed to grant and destroying the useless ones. A heap of whalebone sat on one side of the desk, the other side being used to piece together fragments of bone into runes. Emily carefully slid the pieces into place, deep in thought.

_ “What would the High Overseer think if he saw me like this; bearing the Outsider’s mark and building heretical artifacts? He was always loyal to me, but he hates the Outsider and heresy. Could he stand deposing one witch just to instate another? Is his friendship with Corvo and I stronger than his distaste for the Void?” _ She reflected, starting to paint the mark onto the bone. Sokolov was still fading in and out of consciousness, and Hypatia was out collecting the needed supplies. Meagan had attempted to argue, but was eventually persuaded to stay and oversee Anton and to a lesser extent Emily in the doctor’s absence. The empress had mostly recovered, but still wasn’t fit to go running around the city quite yet. After a few minutes, the rune started glowing, the Heart beginning to pound heavily soon after.

_ “That’s the fourth rune. The Outsider had to have had a reason to give me this knowledge. What is he planning?” _

Her ruminations were interrupted when she touched the runes, immediately feeling not only the usual surge of energy but something else, something powerful...

“Something’s wrong…” Emily said, leaning against the desk as the feeling continued to spread, something between pain and sickness surging through her body. She looked at her right hand, but to her horror, found it wasn’t there. Her entire arm had become a gaggle of shadows, making her jump away instinctively. “What’s happening to me?!” She shouted, only to find her voice distorting into a deep growl. She flew from the chair, scrambling to find the mirror. By the time she did, she wished she couldn’t see what she’d become: Her face was beginning to dissolve into inky darkness, becoming more and more shapeless with every passing second. Her mark had started glowing at some point, Kaldwin not noticing during the chaos of what was happening to her.

Meagan opened the door, looking around for the empress. “Emily, what’s wrong? I heard-” She froze as the saw the living shadow turn to her.

“Meagan!” She called with her distorted voice, moving towards her. The captain looked on in horror for only a moment, slamming the door just as the shadowy claws that used to her hands reached the doorway. She physically couldn’t stand anymore, sinking to the floor and feeling unnaturally flat. Before she even realized what was happening, she found herself sliding underneath the door-frame, Foster at the foot of the stairs.

“Wait, please! Help me!” She begged, but at this point it came out as an animalistic growl. She desperately crawled after the woman, panicking too much to think of another plan. 

“Emily?! What happened to you?!” She yelled out as she reached the deck, running towards the bow. All too quickly, however, she reached the end of the ship, the monstrous mass that used to be the empress coming after her. Out of options, she simply took a deep breath and stood still, seemingly accepting her fate. The empress’ vision was quickly fading to black, a heartbeat thumping in her ears, though she couldn’t tell if it was hers or that of her mother’s. As the blackness fully consumed her vision, Emily cried out, feeling her body once again morph its shape. Stretching upwards and pulling inwards, she felt like she was going to be ripped apart until she realized she was holding her face, followed by the realization that she could feel her hands again.

She slowly opened her eyes, seeing her hands were flesh once more, albeit shaking heavily. She looked down, finding that the rest of her body had returned as well. She could feel her face, warm and human, no longer made up of shadows and the Void. She smiled for a moment before she had to run to the side of the boat, left vomiting heavily from the experience.

“What the actual FUCK was that, and are you alright?” Foster asked, approaching Emily from the side. After a few moments, Kaldwin could speak again.

“Another one of the Outsider’s ‘ _ gifts _ ’. He came to me while I was sleeping, tried to give me a lecture before I interrupted him. He probably finds this funny, that black-eyed bastard…” She ranted, not noticing the way Meagan stiffened slightly at the phrase. “By the Void, what’s even the point of that power? How could that ever be useful?” 

“... Well, you did manage to move under a door. That would help when you need to infiltrate someplace.” Meagan offered. Emily sighed.

“Perhaps, but of all my powers, it’s the only one that’s made me feel inhuman to use.” She replied, gazing at the still-glowing mark. The same one that was branded onto her father’s hand all those years prior. 

_ “What would Father do if I were trapped in stone instead of him? He’d use everything he could to save me, like always. I need to do the same for him.” _

“But… if it helps me reclaim the throne, I might as well use it. I’ll need to get used to how it feels,” She decided. Meagan nodded, wordlessly heading below deck. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, feeling the Void flow through her once more. The original sensations of the form returned, but far less severe, like an aged wound. A few moments later, she opened her eyes, and found herself as a shadow once more.

***

“How are you feeling, Emily?” Hypatia asked, sitting down next to the woman in question on her bed. The doctor had returned from her search for supplies, spending most of the day tending to Sokolov himself. Once she’d done all she could for him, she turned her focus to the empress. Meagan hadn’t mentioned the earlier incident, and Emily had no intention to either.

“Better than when I woke up, at least. It hasn’t been hurting,” She replied, shrugging slightly. “I think I should be able to do another mission soon.”

“That would be good, but I’d like to check the wound and give it clean bandages myself, if you don’t mind. May I?” She asked. The woman nodded, moving to the side and unbuttoning her shirt to reveal the gauze. Hypatia gently moved her hands onto Emily, brushing down her muscular hips as she reached to begin unwrapping the gauze. Her touch was soft going down the well-toned flesh, the empress silently enjoying the feeling. While her experience with Drexel was interesting for sure, it didn’t compare to having an actual person with her. 

“You and Sokolov aren’t the only ones making rapid recoveries, you know. I’m beginning to feel better than I have in years, all thanks to you, empress.” Hypatia said with a small smile, and Emily could have sworn she saw a light blush when the doctor's hands briefly brushed along her stomach as she unwrapped the top layer. Emily returned the smile before speaking.

“I’m glad to hear it, Hypatia. Hopefully you'll be able to continue your work sooner rather than later,” She said. After a few moments, she sighed, continuing. “I could never have imagined just how bad things here have gotten because of my negligence, but you’ve done so much good for the people of Karnaca despite it. They're lucky to have you.”

“You’ll set things right. I’m sure of that much, your majesty,” Alexandria reassured as she finished removing the last of the covering. Her eyes grew slightly, eyebrows raising. “It’s incredible, there’s nothing there at all! How is this possible?”

True to her word, the spot where the stab wound had been mere hours beforehand was nothing but smooth skin and firm muscle.  _ “Not even a scar… the Mark’s healing is amazing!” _ She thought.

“If I hadn’t treated it myself, I’d never be able to guess you were stabbed there. Perhaps combining S&P Elixir and Addermire Solution heals on a far grander scale than I’d thought! I’ll have to test this soon.” She thought aloud, absent-mindedly rubbing her fingers on Emily’s ribs where a scar should have formed. She noticed it after a few moments, drawing her hand back quickly and blushing before sputtering out an apology. The empress, despite a slight blush of her own forming, put her arm on the doctor's shoulder in acceptance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never realized just how horrifying Shadow Walk would actually be to use until rather recently, and I got this idea as an excuse to fix the timeline. :P  
> Hope you enjoyed! Also, say hello to the shiny new Index at the start of the story.


	10. A Royal Exhibit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily investigates Ashworth and the Royal Conservatory, but when the fight does against her favor, she's forced to improvise....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Kinks for this chapter include:  
> Hate Fucking  
> Tentacles (in the form of vines)  
> Attempted brainwashing  
> and other such things.  
> EDIT 11/7/17: Not the best chapter, but still holds a bit of a special charm for being one of the first in what the story has become now.

It had been three days since Emily had saved Anton Sokolov from Jindosh’s mansion and fried the mind of the Grand Inventor. Since then, Anton had been recovering aboard the Dreadful Wale. Despite being one of the wisest people in the Empire, he’d been too exhausted to be of much help. While she understood how much Jindosh put him through, she found herself getting uneasy with the lack of progress she was making. Finally, on the third day, he’d recovered enough to point her in the direction of one of Delilah’s allies: Breanna Ashworth, the curator of the Royal Conservatory.

That’s what led to her stalking across the rooftops of the Cyria Gardens, creeping towards the Royal Conservatory.  As she slipped past the wall of light and watchtower, she reflected on her goals tonight: find out how to make Delilah mortal again, eliminate Ashworth, and get the Rosenburrow prototype as requested by the owner of the local black market shop, in order of importance.

Emily pulled herself up to a railing with Far Reach, finding an open window and climbing through, sliding against the wall and edging along the inner railing towards another window she was on the opposite side. Stepping inside, she pulled herself onto a chandelier, stopping as she heard a pair of voices.

“-happened to Jindosh? I’m told he’s a gibbering idiot now.”

“I don’t know, Delilah. Forgive me.”

The empress’ eyes widened in surprise. It was Delilah's voice, and she assumed Breanna was the other voice.

“Could Delilah be here, or is this more of her witchcraft?” Emily muttered to herself. As she listened on, she found herself more concerned. Whatever this Oraculam was, it apparently allowed Breanna to influence the dreams of the Oracular Sisters. _“Vice Overseer Byrne’s suspicions were right.”_ Ashworth mentioned something about old lenses, something Emily made a note to keep in mind. As the statue of Delilah said her farewells, Emily crept closer, still above the witch. Just as she was about to drop down on top of her, Ashworth moved, taking a seat at her desk. The merciful assassin frowned, as she couldn’t find an easy angle to drop on the witch or sneak up on her. She considered Far Reaching behind the statue, but she’d be far too vulnerable and visible while doing so. Bend Time was out of the equation, still being far too taxing on her at the moment, and she wasn't sure it would affect Ashworth even if she did use it. She crouched there in thought, until she had an idea.

Extending her hand out, she summoned a doppelganger, the near perfect copy of herself spawning just behind the statue. She had been expecting to simply switch places with it before dispelling it. What she didn’t expect was for it to look right at her and suddenly shoot its hand out, the familiar black tendrils of Far Reach going from the double’s fingers and pulling her in. Taken off guard, she was flung to the lower half the the room and into the statue, making enough noise to draw Ashworth’s attention. Emily was rolling to her feet by the time the curator yelled out, “What’s going on here?!”

As she got to her feet, Kaldwin noticed the two black bone-charms adorned on the woman, one of which was glowing as the doppelganger turned to face her. _“She turned my doppleganger against me?”_ She thought, dodging another tendril from her traitorous double. The witch had noticed her by now, firing magical bolts at the distracted Empress. However, Emily was quick, deflecting the bolts, swinging her sword back around to block a strike from the double. With her spare hand, she fired a sleep dart at Ashworth, but it turned into a bloodfly before her eyes. She stabbed the double, dispelling it. While she was ending the double, Ashworth had Blinked towards her, grabbing her by the arm and slamming her into the ground and summoning thick, black vines to hold her down. Corvo’s blade had been dropped, being planted where Emily had been standing. She drew her blade, walking towards Emily. She took the empress’ scarf, pulling it down roughly.

“Emily Kaldwin? I suppose you’re the one that turned Jindosh into an idiot. You’re a fool to try to depose Delilah, girl. As if you could ever be Delilah’s equal, let alone her better. Even I could beat you easily, and my power is far less than hers.” The empress tried going into Shadow Walk to escape the vines, but found something about them was canceling out her powers, a foreboding red energy shining in the dark vines. She glared up at the witch as she put her blade to her throat. “It’s almost a shame you have to die, you’re rather nice looking for a failed empress.” With that, she put the edge of her blade to Emily’s throat and prepared to thrust it in.

Emily’s mind raced, desperate thoughts surging through her brain as she felt the blade lift up slightly, preparing to stab through her neck.

“You think you’ve bested me? You needed bone-charms to beat me. Without them, you’d have been out before you even saw me coming. I’ll survive anything you do to me. After all, Delilah couldn’t stop me.”

Ashworth’s blade stayed still as she glared down at the woman beneath her. How dare she, someone who was a mere novice, question her abilities with magic? How dare she question Delilah?

Emily continued, seeing the anger in the witch’s eyes rise.

“If you think you can best me, do it here and now. I can take whatever you could possibly do and still beat you.” After that, Emily glared right into Ashworth’s eyes, expecting her to either fall for the bait or kill her on the spot. If it was the former, she had a chance to take Ashworth down. If it was the latter, it’s not like she’d be around long enough to regret her words.

Breanna's angry frown turned into a tight, small smile, though her eyes remained the same. “Whatever I can do, hmm?”

The empress nodded firmly.

“Very well…” She said, and suddenly the vines on the empress’ hands released, but before she could make a move, more of the vines wrapped around her arms and torso, forcing her up-right and leaving her hands near her sides, just out of reach of her belt. Yet more of the vines appeared, and moved to her pants before grabbing them by the hem. Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly returned to her look of determination. “It’s this, or a blade to your throat. Decide.” Breanna spoke firmly, now wearing a sadistic grin.

Time seemed to slow for Emily as she processed the situation. She either had to find a way to take Ashworth down while she was getting fucked by her, or get her throat slit without any chance of surviving. She hated the woman before her for putting her in this situation, but she had said she could take anything. She could overcome the embarrassment of letting this witch have her way with her if she could stop her for good afterwards. She glanced at her belt, and saw that while it was just out of reach right now, her stun mines were close to her reach. Perhaps if she managed to move just enough without looking conspicuous, she could grab one of the mines and throw it at Ashworth. Emily spared a thought for Wyman. She would have to tell her about this, all of this, someday. Wyman didn’t particularly care who Emily had sex with, so long as they were still together at the end of the day. She had told Kaldwin that the first time they went to a Fugue Feast as a couple, and trusted Emily to make her own decisions. With the comfort of her love’s words, she looked the witch in the eye.

“I told you: _anything_ you could do to me, I could beat.” She said confidently, leading to Breanna scoffing.

“As you wish, fool.”

The vines pulled down, dragging her pants to her ankles. The vines went back up, grabbing her black panties before tearing them off, ripping the underwear in half in the process. Now with a clear entrance into her, the vines shot up into her pussy, drawing a surprised yell from Emily as they went in hard and deep. She bit her lip to keep from making any more noises as the vines pumped in and out of her. They moved around inside her, teasing the sensitive flesh with brief touches. The vines pulled out slowly, making her shudder involuntarily. The vines began to rub themselves against her slit, dousing them in her arousal. Kaldwin was blushing despite her best efforts not to, her arousal growing by the minute. She was focused on the task at hand, however, still trying to reach for her stun mines when possible.

Soon it was made clear why the vines had slowed down as more vines appeared and undid her shirt before they pushed the flaps to the side, leaving her bare breasts exposed. Emily’s blush deepened at this. When she escaped Dunwall, she had found that the traditional brasserie/corset she was expected to wear as a noblewoman wasn’t suitable for running around, stealth, or anything else her life had become in recent weeks. Without any better options at her disposal, she had decided to forgo the thing entirely, and as such, she had been braless for weeks. “Hmmph. Even courtesans are less slatternous than you!” Ashworth called out mockingly, a hateful grin on her face. Emily grit her teeth. While she might find it arousing when Wyman says such things, the stripped empress made a note to kick the witch in the teeth at the end of this.

She gasped as the vines that opened her shirt wrapped around her tits, squeezing them roughly. The vines at her crotch went back inside of her, brushing her inner walls just enough to start driving her mad with pleasure. They slid around, stroking the sensitive flesh, drawing a moan from Emily despite her attempts to keep silent. She quickly bit her lip, doing her best to ignore how the vines grew faster inside her and how her boobs were being fondled harder. _“Or how good it feels… no! Focus, Emily!”_ she mentally scolded herself. By now, the vines on her breasts were pinching her nipples as well, trying to make her lose herself to the pleasure, but she remained despite it.

The vines below her continued pumping into her, making her subconsciously buck her hips. Her fingers brushed against the edge of the stun mine for just a moment, but moved away too quickly. She cursed under her breath in Tyvian, a rather colorful phrase she’d heard Sokolov mutter during her childhood when he thought she couldn’t hear him. Then she noticed that Ashworth wasn’t paying particular attention to what she was doing, but rather what the vines were doing. If she wasn’t keeping an eye on her, she could be a bit more proactive about her situation. She leaned into the vine, letting out a breath at the feeling of it going deeper, and reached for the mine that was now slightly elevated. The first time, her fingers grazed the edge of it. The second time, she nearly had it, but lost her grip by just a hair. The third time, she got it. _“Yes! Now I just have to arm it and throw it at Ashworth.”_ she thought to herself. Just as she was about to start arming it, however, she felt a hard smack on her ass, making her yelp. One of the vines was being used as a riding crop, striking her most sensitive areas. She couldn’t help but moan by the third strike, her rear most certainly bright red by now.

The vines inside her were picking up speed, slowly but surely. As they sped up, Emily found her fingers too erratic to arm the stun mine, sending a jolt of fear through her. _“Umph… void damn these vines and how good they feel. If I don’t arm this in time, Ashworth will kill me, if not do worse to me,”_ She thought. Another strike on her bare cheeks, but as her mouth opened to moan despite her nearly biting her lip in two, a vine shot into her mouth. Her eyes went as wide as the dinner plates in Dunwall Tower as it slid past her teeth, wrestling with her tongue. She tried to bite down on it, spit it out, anything to make it leave, but it was too thick and strong to effectively fight. It forced her tongue underneath it, sliding past and exploring the rest of her mouth, tickling the back of her throat as it pushed itself back and forth in her mouth. Her breasts received another firm squeeze as her nipples got pinched, her ass getting another firm strike, and the vines in her pussy reached their top speed, slamming in and out of her almost faster than she could keep track of, all at the same time. Her eyes began to roll up in pleasure as she let out a lusty moan around the vine face-fucking her. _“It feels so good… maybe I should let her turn me into a fuckdoll-NO! That’s her witchcraft, not me. Ignore how it feels and get the dann stun mine ready! Corvo and the Empire are counting on me!”_

Shutting her eyes, Emily pictured the stun mine in her hand, visualizing where her fingers were on it. She blocked out everything, focusing only on the stun mine and her breathing. She slid her finger into the slider, brought it to the right, pulled up, and…

_Brrring…_

_“Yes! It’s armed! Now to just find the perfect moment to take her out…”_ She celebrated in her mind. The empress clutched the stun mine tightly, continuing to hide it behind her palm. She felt herself coming close to a climax, so she braced for the orgasm and drew in a deep breath. With one final spank, squeeze, and push inside of her, she came. The orgasm rocked through her, making her shake and nearly scream out her muffled moans as she came onto the vines inside her, squirting on top of them and down them, leaving them slick beneath her. The vine in her mouth was coated in her drool from the orgasm, leaving her mouth with a moist sounding _pop_. Her nipples were rock hard, her breasts extremely soft and warm from the rough sex. As she came down from her orgasm, she looked down as Ashworth approached.

“How confident are you now, you foolish, ambitious whore? Still think I’m weak?” The witch taunted, grabbing Emily’s face by the chin and forcing her to look her in the eyes. She didn’t expect her to be smiling.

“Yes, I do. You must be shocked.” With that, she lobbed the stun mine onto Ashworth, grinning as her confusion turned to shock, and was in the middle of turning to anger when the mine went off, electrocuting her into unconsciousness. The vines went limp without their master, dropping Emily to the ground. Struggling to get up, slightly sore from the restraints and sex, she pulled herself up, finding her pants and putting them on before buttoning her shirt up, so that she at least had her modesty. She looked for the torn panties, frowning as she recovered them. She’d have to either fix them, or ask to use some of Foster’s. She had far too much pride for the latter, so she made a note to sow them back together when she got back to the Dreadful Wale. Walking past the unconscious Ashworth, she looked over the papers on the desk, learning of both the location of the lenses and of some of Ashworth’s personal notes. As she prepared to leave the Curator's office, she noticed a painting hanging on the wall, and an odd display near it. It looked like some abstract painting at first glance, but looking closer at it, Emily realized it was a stylized portrait. It was the same style as the painting in the Crown Killer’s office at Addemire.

_“Delilah’s paintings,”_ She thought bitterly. While part of her wanted to burn the things just to spite the woman, Emily merely took the painting off of the wall, rolling it up to sell on the black market later. In the display case, she found what looked like broken pieces of a sword made out of bones. While it didn’t look valuable, she put it into the pocket of her overcoat anyways, finding it interesting enough to keep. With that, she returned to the task at hand.

***

About an hour later, most of the witches in the conservatory were unconscious, piled on top of each other both for simplicity’s sake and to make an awkward situation for them when they all woke up piled together. Along with the guards being knocked out, Emily had also recovered the prototype, listened to Breanna's audiograph, and recovered the faulty lenses for the Oraculum. She smiled faintly as she installed the lenses and prepared to pull the lever that would strip Ashworth of her magic. _“Let’s see you tie me up without your magic, witch.”_ She thought. With that, she pulled the lever. The machine turned on, a loud, low rumble emanating from it. Suddenly, a very panicked looking Breanna Ashworth blinked down, stumbling as she landed. It seemed she’d only recently regained her consciousness, much to Emily’s amusement.

“Stop! No! You don’t know what you’re doing!” She pleaded, before the world suddenly became light blue for a moment. Emily felt her mark burn, a low, tingling burn like when she was activating one of her less demanding powers. When it reached the other woman, however, she practically collapsed, sobbing to herself. “No… Delilah… the Void… I can’t feel any of it anymore. Just like after Brigmore…” She grieved. Emily however did not sympathise, walking up to the woman.

“You can’t hurt anyone else now.” She spat out, voice filled with malice, before she kicked the woman right in the mouth, knocking her out instantly. She grinned behind her mask, grabbing the bone-charms from the former witch. If their fight was anything to go by, these were rather powerful charms, ones she’d find a lot better use for than the unconscious woman before her. With everything in the Conservatory finished, Emily made her way out, returning to Ashworth’s office with a use of Far Reach to pass through a route she knew was safe. As she passed by the statue of Delilah, however…

“As if you could ever hide your face from me, dear niece.” Delilah’s voice intoned, the condescending grin practically audible. Emily stopped in her tracks, turning to face the statue. “Did you enjoy whoring yourself out to Breanna? You certainly appeared to.”

Emily’s stomach turned over in disgust at the idea that the second worst person in her life had watched her getting fucked. She refused to let that disgust show however, as she refused to give Delilah the satisfaction of her humiliation. “It’s done, Delilah. Breanna is no longer a witch.” She said, allowing herself a smirk as she said it. With just those words, the statue’s posture completely changed.

“You _villain!”_ It hissed out. “A great bloom withers and dies from this world. You could never understand what Breanna meant to me! I hate you for this, child.”

“I won’t stop until everything you’ve built crashes down around you, just like you did to me.” She said, wearing a vindictive smile beneath her mask. She waved her hand dismissively for emphasis. The statue didn’t reply, freezing in its pose. Having crushed Delilah so quickly made Emily emboldened as she left the conservatory, returning to the black market shop one last time before going back to the Wale. Perhaps now Delilah realized that Emily Kaldwin wasn’t some spoiled princess she could ignore. Now, having done real damage to the false empress, the masked assassin disappeared into the shadowy streets of Karnaca once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while to write. Hope it was worth the wait!


	11. Doctor/Patient Relations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dealing with Ashworth, Emily returns to the Dreadful Wale to get some rest, but Doctor Hypatia wants to know the truth of what happened to her. It may or may not end in comfort sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An interlude chapter in between the Royal Conservatory and the Dust District. Working on the chapter for the Clockwork Mansion, and then we move onto Paulo and the final third of the game!

“Emily… there’s something else you should know.” Meagan practically whispered as they got in the boat, making Emily raise an eyebrow. “Back when I lived in Dunwall, I did things… things that I’m not proud of.” She said, looking down.

“Isn’t that a requirement for citizenship?” Emily joked. Meagan’s thinned lips and cold expression showed that she wasn’t amused. _“What could it be that has her so serious?”_

“What I have to say is no joke. I… fuck it, I knew Delilah. Ashworth, too. Bought into their bullshit, which led me down a bad road.” She sighed, Emily forcing her face to be neutral.

_“She knew and didn’t tell me? What else are you hiding then? But… you’re telling me now. That has to count for something.”_ The empress thought to herself.

“To be honest, before all this, I thought Delilah dead.” Foster clarified, giving a slight shrug. “I don’t want to get into it right now, but I felt like you should know. There are things I regret.”

“... All right, Meagan. Thank you for opening up, even if just a little.” She replied, giving a nod. “But someday I’d like to hear the full story,” She continued, looking the other woman in the eye.

“I’m starting to feel like you deserve it.” Meagan said as she turned on the motor, setting course for the Wale.

***

It was a lovely night in Serkonos, the moon casting its cold light over the ocean as Emily and Meagan pulled up to the Dreadful Wale in the skiff, lifting it back on deck soon after. The empress climbed out of the small boat with some effort, still walking with a limp from the ordeal with Ashworth earlier that night. Shaking her head, she leaned against the door while she waited for the captain. The one-eyed woman came up, nodding at her. “Try to get some sleep, Emily. I’ll be doing some repairs.”

“Goodnight, Meagan.” She replied, nodding as she opened the door and walked below deck. She heard some things shifting about in Hypatia's room, the doctor opening the door and peering out at Emily.

“Oh! Hello, Emily.” She greeted, eyes looking anywhere but at her. The empress noticed a hint of a blush across Alexandria's face. “If you could, there’s something I need to… talk to you about.” Her voice was a little tense.

_“What’s going on, Hypatia?”_ She questioned in her mind as she nodded and walked into the doctor’s quarters. The older woman closed the door behind her, a small smile on her face.

“Is there something wrong?” She asked as the doctor picked up a bottle of wine, pouring a glass for each of them. She noticed the bottle seemed a lot emptier than earlier in the day, and the doctor’s glass had a layer of wine at the bottom already. Hypatia nodded.

“Yes, actually. I’ve been feeling much better recently, but with my head clear, I’ve found it easier to recall my… visions.” Her smile fell as she looked at the other woman, sitting down at her makeshift table. “I was hoping you’d be able to explain what they mean. You’re more aware what I was doing than I am.”

Emily grimaced. _“Oh… by the Void. I’m sorry for what comes next, Hypatia…”_ She thought as she took a sip of the wine. “Hypatia, are you sure? It’s not pleasant. It might be better if you don’t know.”

“I must have closure on this. I’d rather know exactly what happened than be able to do nothing but speculate.” The doctor said, voice firm.

“Well…. okay. But don’t blame yourself for what I’m about to tell you. The Duke is the one responsible.” The older woman gave a hesitant nod, cuing her to continue. “As I told you back at Addermire, you were being poisoned. But… it wasn’t just causing memory loss or bad dreams. The Duke was poisoning you with your first version of the miner serum, in larger doses than your test. You were the Crown Killer, doctor. The visions are the murders.” The masked felon explained. “Everything in the visions happened. I’m sorry, Alexandria.”

Alexandria’s eyes widened, suddenly looking distant as a hand covering her mouth. Her other hand shakily grasped her glass, taking a large drink from it. Emily reached out, grasping her wrist reassuringly. “All these killings… I did them…? It explains the visions and memory lapses, but… Void, I’m a monster…” She sobbed out as her eyes grew wet.

“No, you’re not. It might have been your body, but it wasn’t you. The Duke and Delilah are the monsters here,” Emily whispered to her as the woman finished the rest of her glass and began to pour another.

“I designed the serum, it’s my fault… it’s my fault all those people are dead, that Vasco is dead…” She gasped out. She splashed down the wine as the empress moved her hands to hold the woman’s face.

_“I suppose this is how I look to Wyman on the hardest nights… like in that dream.”_

“Look at me, Hypatia. I don’t blame you for what happened, and neither does anyone else. It was out of your control, so you can’t hold it against yourself.” She said passionately.

“Emily, if everything in the visions was real, I’m not just a murderer! I’ve seen myself doing unspeakable things to poor Vasco… to you…” The doctor whimpered out. “Grim Alex knew how I felt about him and she… did things, with him. To him. Against his will.”

_“Outsider’s eyes… the Crown Killer raped Vasco just to torment Hypatia. The Duke will pay dearly for this…”_ She raged in her mind.

“I’m so sorry-” She began before Alexandria interrupted her.

“She did it to you, too! I’ve seen you there, in the visions… under me. The worst part is that a part of me… it enjoys seeing you that way! I…. I did so much more than kill people under her influence, Emily.” The woman cried, holding her face in her hands.

The empress’ face flushed. _“She remembers that? It must seem so terrible without context. But… can I really afford to reveal the mark to her?”_

“He didn’t blame you for what she did. He was the one who told me how to save you. Nothing she did worsened his opinion of you.” She rebutted.

“But what I did to you-”

“You didn’t do anything,” She sighed. “You didn’t do anything because it wasn’t me.”

“...What?”

Taking a drink of her wine, the empress confessed. “It wasn’t me. It was a copy of me, an illusion. I make them with this,” She said as she pulled down the purple cloth on her left hand, revealing the Outsider’s mark to the doctor. “You didn't do anything to me.”

_“Well, not entirely accurate, but this will help more.”_

“... The Outsider is real?” Emily nodded. “Magic, too?” Another nod. “You’ve been… chosen, by the Outsider, like the fables the Abbey Men tell?”

“I am. He gives people he finds interesting various powers for his own amusement. He’s not evil, he’s more apathetic really. What you saw was one of my powers: creating duplicates of myself.” She explained, gauging the doctor’s face to tell her thoughts.

“Well… this is incredible, and I’d like to know more later if you don’t mind, but it doesn’t change anything else that happened.”

“Maybe not, but the fact that you’re so disgusted by what she did proves that you aren’t her. You’re Alexandria Hypatia, the savior of the miners and revered alchemist, and above all my friend. I hold nothing she did against you, and you shouldn’t either.” She countered.

Hypatia remained silent as Emily stood up and walked towards her. When she pulled her into a hug however, she leaned into it. Standing up, she returned it properly, the two women wrapped around each other. “Thank you, Emily…” She said quietly, head resting on the empress’ shoulder.

“You’re welcome. I’ll do anything that helps,” She said with a smile. Something flashed in the doctor’s eyes for a moment, making Emily raise an eyebrow. “Is there something you have in mind?”

The doctor blushed, mumbling out a “no, thank you” in a fluster. She continued to mince over her words until she saw Emily’s insistent gaze. Sighing, she looked the woman in the eyes. “This will sound incredibly selfish, but… please, let me feel you. When I woke up at Addermire, and saw you there next to me, you were so beautiful. You’d saved me, even despite all I’d done. The idea of you making love to me, it… oh, this must seem so pathetic…” She said, voice full of humiliation and shame.

Despite her growing blush at the request, she pulled the doctor in closer, leaning in and giving her a kiss. The other woman’s eyes widened in joyful surprise as she returned the affection, melting into the embrace. Emily pulled back, giving the woman a smile. “Consider that a yes. Shall we get started?” She asked, brushing her fingers lightly across Hypatia’s cheeks. The doctor nodded, leading her to the bed and falling back onto it. The masked fugitive on top of her, she placed her hands on Emily’s breasts. She squeezed softly and slowly, taking time to appreciate the warmth and firm perkiness of them as the empress’ nipples noticeably hardened underneath. Leaning forward, Hypatia planted kisses down her partner’s neck, making Kaldwin let out tiny gasps. Her hands were not idle, however, one behind Hypatia’s head and the other massaging the woman’s thighs. The doctor pulled back, hands moving to Emily’s coat.

“May I?” She asked, her hands positioning to take off the lavish coat. Her partner nodded, Hypatia unbuttoning it before Emily sat up and shrugged it off, revealing a sleek-looking sleeveless black shirt. It came off as well, leaving her Excellency topless and blushing under the esteemed doctor’s slightly questioning gaze.

“The corset was bad for sneaking and running,” She explained before the question could be asked. With an understanding ‘ah', Alexandria lowered her hands to the formal black pants, loosening the belt and lowering them, face growing redder as Emily’s uncovered and slickened sex came into view, the only slight obstruction being her neatly trimmed pubic hair. “I… lost my panties, without getting into details.” The empress sighed under her breath, looking away in embarrassment. Hypatia’s hand grazed her cheek lightly, the doctor smiling despite her heavy blush.

“You don’t owe me an explanation, Emily. If you don’t mind, there’s… something I’d like to put on.” She said, laying Emily on the bed and standing up. She hesitantly put her hands the the hem of her pants, too nervous to pull them down until the empress sat up and put her hands on top of the doctor’s, pushing down with her to reveal her wearing a modest pair of cotton white panties, a small stain of her arousal on the front. Slipping her fingers in between them, she brushed the woman's slit, making her coo softly. Sliding the pair down, the doctor stood before her bottomless, but stepped away before she could take her top off, bending over slightly to open a cabinet and inadvertently giving Emily a lovely view of her. When she stood up, she held the strap-on dildo from Addermire in her hands, visibly double ended from this angle. “I know this might be rather… niche, but would you mind if I used it with you?” She inquired.

Now that she was seeing it up close, it looked so much bigger than it did from the rafters. It was 24’ inches total, one foot on each side, and about 3½’ inches thick and tall, making the empress grow more aroused as she pictured what it would feel like.

“I wouldn’t mind at all.” She stated warmly, stepping off the bed to help the doctor put it on. She tightened the leather harnesses where Hypatia said they were supposed to, before taking the rear-facing end in her hand. It felt as strong as it looked. _“Who makes these? Wyman would love this kind of thing!”_ She mused as she put it at Hypatia’s entrance, looking up at her. “Ready?” She asked, the doctor nodding. With that, she began pushing it in. Alexandria moaned as it slid inside her with ease, already three inches deep. Emily pushed it further up, the doctor’s moans becoming louder as it faced some resistance from her folds at 6 inches. A glance up showed the woman mumbling ‘more' below her breath (reading lips had been one of Corvo's first teachings in stealth), and she was happy to comply. It pushed past her walls, sending pleasure through her as it hit 9’ inches in. By now, the doctor's excitement was dripping onto Emily’s hand and the woman herself was spreading her legs subconsciously and leaning on the nearby table. She practically screamed as the final inches pushed in, the foot-long dildo completely engulfed by her needy cunt. After a few moments, she calmed down, running her hand through Emily’s hair.

“I’ve never pushed it all the way in… it feels incredible.” She said breathily, looking down to the empress. “To start, I-I’d like you to put it in your mouth and suck on it.” She said, moving her hips to lift it to the woman’s lips, a blush still donning her cheeks. Emily opened her mouth, taking in the head of the fake dick. It pushed past her teeth while she ran her tongue along the bottom of the shaft. Her lips rubbed against the finely carved and wax-coated wood, enjoying the feeling of it between her lips. She had some experience with giving blowjobs, mainly from when she was 18 and 19 and trying to figure out what her tastes were. She’d experimented on a few lucky guards and servants in her quarters or the restrooms, once in the middle of a hallway during some dreadfully dull ball when she’d had a few too many glasses of wine. Thankfully, nobody had caught her then. She could imagine the headlines: _“‘Bastard Empress caught performing lewd acts with palace staff!’, or something to that effect,”_ She mused to herself as the strap-on pushed further into her mouth. Considering who her Royal Protector was, her one-time partners knew better than to gloat about cumming in the empress’ mouth. Since meeting Wyman, she’s stuck to doing it only during Fugue Feasts and other such celebrations where the aristocracy knows better than to spread rumors lest their own secrets be revealed.

By now, the large toy was by her tonsils, Emily’s mouth pushed into an ‘o' shape around it as she bobbed her head along the length of the thing, lapping at its underside. It was lightly coated with her saliva, proof of her work on it as it pushed further, now nearing the back of her throat as her teeth gently grazed the back of it and her tongue glided across it. Hypatia’s hips were close now, close enough for her to feel the doctor’s warmth as she pushed forward, the dildo 3/4ths of the way in and pushing against the back of her throat, threatening to deepthroat her. _“Void, this thing feels even bigger than it is when using it!”_ She yelled in her mind, coming out as a happy little hum around the toy in her mouth. She licked it faster, eyes beginning to water as it pushed down her throat, causing her to gag. She drew back fully, running her tongue along the shaft as it went until only the head remained, circling around it until she let it come out with a pop, planting a kiss on it before standing up. The doctor’s blush had gone deeper, a dumbed smile on her face.

“I… hadn’t expected you to be so skilled at it. But that’s not a bad thing!” She added quickly, resting one hand on Kaldwin’s hip, the other arm wrapping around the empress’ back. “What would you like to do now?”

Emily’s finger brushed between Alexandria’s legs, making the woman shiver with anticipation for a moment. “Take me, Hypatia. I know it’s what you want.” She said softly, stepping back and falling onto the bed before spreading her legs wide the the doctor, giving the woman a premium view of her glistening pussy, all without ever breaking line of sight. For emphasis, she let her hand drift south, fingering herself before her. _“Is this enticing, or does it just seem forced, like some subpar erotic novel? This is supposed to be to her liking more than mine, even if I allow myself some pleasure.”_ She worried silently, though she kept on the mask of a lustful woman, her fingers still lightly pulling on her inner walls. Hypatia couldn’t hide her emotions as well, an excited smile on her face and her eyes full of lust and joy. She quickly came to the bed, standing at the edge just in front of the masked felon’s wanting and waiting sex, placing her hands on Emily’s ample thighs for support.

“Oh, thank you, Emily! Is this fine?” She asked, nodding towards her hands currently kneading her thick thighs. Receiving a nod in return, she put the toy at her entrance, resting it on her soaked lips. “Are you ready?”

_“Now to seal it. Just have to put the right voice in.”_ She thought decisively. “Please. I want you,” She whispered, putting in a healthy dose of lusty desire in her tone to make the kind woman’s dream come true. _“I didn’t even have to fake it, really. She looks so beautiful right now…”_

Emily spread her pussy with her fingers as Hypatia lined the dildo up with it and slowly pressed the tip in, the drawn out motion making the empress whimper and whine as the wood rubbed against her eager flesh. For a moment, the doctor left just the tip in, watching Emily buck her hips slightly in an attempt to get more of it as her hands slid up her well-exercised body, stopping at her lush tits and taking each of them with the opposite hand, leaving her arms crossed. Then, hands firm on her partner’s thighs, the doctor slammed as deep as she could thrust, making the empress howl out in surprise, pleasure, and a tiny bit of pain as her inner walls protested against the intruder. It was a hearty, passionate yell that even the empress herself found a little arousing, the doctor’s smile accentuated by the deep blush that she had been sporting for the last few minutes. Alexandria leaned back, pushing it even further until the entire dildo was inside her, Kaldwin's moans and occasional ‘oh fuck yes’ making up the soundtrack of the action. She stilled, panting but no longer moaning as she laid there groping her breasts, her legs spread wide and a toy deep up her snatch. Her hair was slightly frazzled, still in a bowl but otherwise unruly.

The doctor began to slide out, teasingly slow as it dragged against the woman’s slick sex, drawing similar whines as when she started. Then, as it was halfway out, the toy dragged just right on her g-spot, ushering another heated cry from her highness. “By the Void, right there!” She yelled, pleasure overriding situational awareness.

Hypatia stopped pulling out, leaving it on the woman’s g-spot as she angled herself. “Here?” She checked, the toy angled down onto the spot now. At Emily’s eager nod, she pushed onto it, her partner practically screaming in pleasure as the dildo rammed her g-spot, one of her hands releasing her breast to finger her clit. After a few seconds, she moaned deeply. “I-I’m cumming! Oh Hypatia, don’t stop, Hypatiaaaaaaaa~!” She yelled as she orgasmed, her juices flying out onto Alexandria’s crotch and bed. Her mouth was halfway open, tongue nearly dropping out. Meanwhile, her hazel eyes rolled into her head, leaving her face as a picture of pure pleasure. Seeing the woman she held in such high regard with that face, hearing her calling out her name as she came, pushed her over the edge. As usual, she was mostly silent as she orgasmed, making only a few soft moans, except with one new addition.

“Emily~” She called softly as she finished, bending over the bed and leaning above the woman in question. When the empress calmed from her orgasm, she looked up at the doctor, sharing a smile. “That was incredible, Emily. Thank you. I… I love you.”

_“Oh, void. She’s in love with me? How can I respond to that without crushing her? I suppose now I know how Alexi felt back then…”_ She pondered, looking the woman in the eye.

“Hypatia… you’re a good friend. But I’m afraid I’m already seeing someone, someone who’ve I’ve been in a relationship in for years.” She said, tone apologetic as she saw the doctor deflate a little. “I can’t promise to be your lover, at least not without discussing it with Wyman. She’s fine with just having sex, but adding someone into the relationship could be difficult for her. But, if she agrees… I’d be lying if I said I don’t love you as well.” She said, leaning up and kissing her. After a long moment, she pulled back.

“I… I understand. Even if you say no in the end, thank you for everything you’ve done, empress.” Hypatia thanked warmly, so many emotions running through her about the woman she had grown to love.

“You’re more than welcome. But, something I can do in the meantime is return the favor, if you’d like.”

***

For the first time in months, Emily awoke to someone in bed with her. Opening one eye slowly, the first thing she noticed was the warmth and weight nearby. _“Ugh… this isn’t my cabin... wait, Hypatia? Why am I… oh, right. Last night was amazing. Well, the hours with Alexandria, at least.”_ She mused. She didn’t miss the fact that her head had been resting between the woman’s breasts, cuddling into her embrace during sleep. Slowly, she got off the bed, trying not to disturb the doctor as she got up. _“She looks so content, just laying there. Void take me, I’m turning into Wyman.”_ Emily ruminated, chuckling to herself lightly. After a few minutes of searching for her clothes and making herself presentable, she planted a kiss on the sleeping woman’s forehead and snuck out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Strolling into the planning room, she noticed Meagan at the table, a cup of coffee in hand as she read the front page story of the newspaper nearby: _‘Esteemed Royal Conservatory Robbed By Former Empress Emily Kaldwin! The Royal Conservatory was robbed late last night, with several artifacts such as the famed Roseburrow Prototype being stolen and the Royal Curator, Breanna Ashworth, being violently assaulted by who she claims to be the former Empress Emily Kaldwin, now known to be the Crown Killer. The Grand Guard encourages anyone with information as to the whereabouts of this violent criminal to come forward, issuing a reminder of the 20,000 coin bounty for information leading to her capture or death. Continued on next page…’_

“For somebody trying to keep a low profile, I seem to show up in the news rather often.” The fugitive quipped, accepting the offered cup of coffee from Meagan as she joined her. Foster chuckled, looking at her with her good eye.

“Probably a testament to how bad the Grand Guard are at catching people like us.” She agreed. However, her smile faded and her face straightened. “Emily, I should make something clear. I don’t judge you for what you have to do out there, and I won’t judge you for what you do here.” As she said this, her lips smirked slightly while her eye became less intense. “But by the Outsider, don’t be so damned loud. You’re lucky Anton is a heavy sleeper.”

Emily’s face drained, heat rushing to her cheeks as she set the mug down and looked at the captain, mortified. Despite her mortification, her cheeks weren’t the only thing heat went to upon finding out she had been heard last night. “I-I… Meagan… fuck.” She sighed, putting her head in her hand to lessen the embarrassment. Captain Foster put her hand on Emily’s shoulder, shaking her head lightly at the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emily might be a master of stealth, but even she can't do everything quietly. :P  
> I hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a comment and/or kudos to let me know what you'd like to see.


	12. Silver Dust Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily navigates through the Dust District, and comes across a unique way to sneak into Howler territory...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A chapter of K.A.E.K coming out without having to wait an entire month? It must be Christmas in October!

The empress once more awoke next to her friend-turned-lover, a familiar feeling in the week since Emily disposed of Ashworth. She'd practically moved in with Hypatia, spending whatever spare time she had with the doctor in between planning out her next mission with Sokolov and her training.  She would help with the doctor's experiments where she could and kept her company when she couldn’t. At the moment, she simply laid in bed with Alexandria, taking in the feeling. After a while (Emily couldn’t tell if it had been minutes or hours), she got off the bed and started getting dressed, her partner waking up soon after. “Good morning, Emily. Sleep well? I certainly did.” She said warmly, finding her own clothes and making herself presentable. Emily gave her a smile, nodding as she finished putting on her coat.

“Better than I have in months. Ready to head out?” She asked, opening the door at the doctor’s nod. The pair stepped into the planning room, the captain noticeably missing. A large sketch of Emily sat near the table, Sokolov himself working on the portrait of Delilah the empress had seen previously.

“Morning empress, Hypatia,” He greeted, giving them each a nod. They returned the pleasantries before beginning.

“I need to find out what made Delilah immortal if we’re going to stop her. Everything we’ve found points to Aramis Stilton’s home, but the path to it is through a ruin of the Duke’s creation. Where my father grew up...” Emily stated, Anton setting down his paintbrush for a moment.

“Perhaps you’ll find answers inside of his house. It’s protected by a lock made by Jindosh. Meagan had an intriguing idea: Paulo is the leader of the Howlers, and he wants Vice Overseer Byrne killed. Of course, Byrne wants him dead too. Take the body of one to the other, and they’d treat you like family,” Sokolov explained, pinning pictures of the respective leaders to the board.

“A choice between cut-throats and zealots. I suppose some things stay the same no matter where you are in the empire.” Emily sighed. Sokolov handed her newspapers talking about the pros and cons of both groups, Kaldwin reading through them as she tried to find the lesser evil.

Hypatia, meanwhile, was staring at the picture of Stilton’s manor. “I went there, three years ago…” She recalled aloud, catching the attention of the empress and natural philosopher. “The Duke invited me to some event there… a seance, I believe. Most of it is a blur, but I remember something unspeakable happening. Delilah's immortality might be related to whatever happened that night. I’m sorry, that’s all I can recall,” The doctor elaborated. “While you’re there, I have a meeting with an old friend of mine. I think she could be of great help to us.”

“We’ll take the skiff now, then. Ready?” Anton asked, heading up deck at their nods.

***

“Who was Stilton? I’ve heard people mention him more than once.” Emily asked as the skiff rode through the sewers.

“An ally to the old duke, loyal and smart. He helped build modern Karnaca with his silver mines. Started as a miner, worked his way up to becoming a prince of the industry.” Sokolov explained.

“He was kind to the workers. He, Lucia and I had been working to improve the conditions of the mines until he disappeared. The Duke runs the mines night and day without Aramis around to stop him, and the district is suffocating in dust from it.” She said, lament clear in her voice.

“I suppose the Duke doesn’t care, as long as he sips from silver cups,” Emily spoke, ruminating on what she’d learned. Sokolov gave a slight smile.

“What are the cups in Dunwall Tower made from, empress?” He replied, her imperial majesty grimacing upon being called out. “Regardless, you’ll have to pass through the Dust District to reach his home. Maybe he’s still in there, or maybe he’s dead,” The Tyvian man finished, shutting off the motor.

“I certainly hope he’s alive…” The doctor whispered under her breath. Hypatia and Emily stepped out, making their way up the path until they found themselves at a stunning view of Karnaca, guards blocking the path ahead.

“Stay back here while I deal with them,” Kaldwin instructed her partner, pulling up her mask. The doctor nodded, though she followed up the stairs just enough to get a view of the marked woman in action. Emily pulled herself onto a fan, readying her crossbow and firing a sleep dart into the commander. She placed Drexel behind another, the doppel choking the guard out as Emily pulled the last one on the ground up to her, punching him in the throat before pulling herself onto the building. There, she Mesmerized the guards there, dropping the one she was carrying and taking them out, soon after dispelling the mysterious being and her clone. Lastly, she flung herself onto the windmill’s ledge, pulling the lever and shutting down the wall of light down the street. Just for fun, she Reached to a nearby lamppost and jumped off with a flip, landing in a roll. Hypatia started clapping, eyes wide in wonder.

“That’s what the mark allows you to do?! Incredible!” She called, walking back to the empress.

“I said the same thing when I first used these powers. It's a rush to use them,” She said, hoisting Alexandria up into a long-since-broken window that formed their path, climbing in soon after. She struggled to find her footing in the dust while her partner carried onwards for a bit, taking a moment to get used to the constant sinking feeling as she crept under an almost-buried doorway. Hypatia was in the room ahead, looking around for a way to get up.

“There used to be a ladder here, but I can’t seem to find it…” She said, Emily taking a hold of her and summoning her shadowy limb to bring them up to the next floor. “Wow! Well, that certainly works as well.”

They found themselves in what seemed to be a bathroom, a nearby door opening up to the district itself. Meagan was there as well, straightening up as the pair approached. She didn't bother to cover her raised eyebrow at seeing the fugitive wasn’t alone. “Hello Emily. Taking Hypatia along?” She asked.

“Escorting her, for the moment. Have you heard anything?

Meagan nodded. “Just ahead is a neutral territory where no-one will harass you, but the Overseers and Howlers both have borders set up, and beyond those points, they’ll attack you on sight. I assume Sokolov told you the plan?”

“I’ll try to find another way inside. I’d rather not help either of these maniacs, if possible.” The captain gave a shrug, seemingly not caring how the empress pulled it off.

The pair exited the dilapidated building, heading down to the left towards the majority of the district. Past the makeshift gateway, a group of Howlers lounged around, one taking notice of the masked stranger. “Stay on your side or you’ll be spitting teeth. For all I know, you’re an Overseer spy.” He spat out the warning, glaring until he noticed who she was traveling with. “Oh shit, Doc Hypatia? Good to see you’re back, but I still can’t let you or your friend through,” The man said, far more polite in his tone this time.

“It’s good to be back here, Adam. I’m glad to see you’re in good health, and I understand. We’ll just be going,” She said, ushering Emily down a set of stairs.

“Friend of yours?” Kaldwin asked dryly.

“A former patient, actually. He used to be a miner, until he got too sick to work. I did what I could for him, but the barons wouldn’t rehire him. I suppose he found a place for himself among the Howlers,” She elaborated. The pair found themselves in a dimly lit under section, a woman stirring a pot of stew to their left, Hypatia approaching her. “Lucia? It’s good to see you again.” She said, the woman in question looking up from her task as a relieved smile crossed her face.

“Alexandria! Same here. With you finally out of Addermire, we can get back to helping the miners,” She started, smile dropping when she saw the doctor's companion.

“Lucia Pastor, right? You deserve thanks for helping the people here.” Emily commended. Pastor narrowed her eyes.

“Considering who you are, I don’t know whether I should be honored that you recognize me, or yell at you for propping up the Duke while he’s shitting all over Serkonos!” She rebutted. Emily raised an eyebrow, but the woman already guessed her question. “I’m not stupid. Whether the newspapers and the posters in the streets are right or wrong, I know who you are, and I hope you’re here to end Luca Abele’s tyranny. Either way, we haven’t been waiting around for you to clean up your mess,” Pastor continued, motioning to Hypatia and herself. Alexandria frowned.

“Em…” She started, before thinking better of revealing the fugitive’s identify aloud as she saw a few people walking past into the nearby shop. “She saved my life. I’d still be trapped at Addermire or worse without her. She’s a good woman, and truly wants to improve things for everyone, in all of the Isles.” She said firmly, though almost pleadingly towards the end.

Lucia’s glare lessened, prompting Emily to speak. “Things will be different after all this, Lucia. The days of blissful ignorance from Dunwall are over.” She promised, extending her hand to the woman. After a moment, the advocate of the miners accepted the handshake.  

“Perhaps we could still make something out of this. Okay, your highness. I’ll expect you to make good on your word,” She intoned, Kaldwin nodding.

“I will. I’ll try to find a way into Stilton's manor. I’ll meet you when I’ve finished there,” The empress told the doctor.

“If you’re trying to find Stilton, I can help. One of the answers to the combination is ‘Marcolla, War Medal’. That’s all I was able to figure out when I tried to solve it. Good luck.” Lucia informed, Emily giving an appreciative nod as she wrote it down and left the two to their meeting. She came across a beggar, giving him some coin and learning of a Howler who knew the combination to Stilton’s home.

_“Durante’s being held by the Overseers. My best bet to do this without helping either side will be finding him.”_ She thought, entering the black market shop, a trio of less-than-reputable looking men speaking in hushed tones in the corner, glancing at her occasionally. She ignored them, instead perusing the shop’s inventory. She purchased a rune, some whalebone fragments, and a bone-charm of unknown effect while also stocking up on sleep darts and the like. “I’m looking for a way into Aramis Stilton’s home. Are you selling the code?” She asked, making the shop owner scoff.

“Kid, if I knew how to get into that house, I’d be rich enough to move into Dunwall Tower itself. Nobody knows the code, or if they do, they ain’t keen in sharing it.”

_“Figures it wouldn't be that easy,”_ She mused, walking away from the counter and exiting the shop. She went to her right, finding herself up more stairs and in front of the Overseers’ border. The guard standing watch noticed her.

“Find another way, sister. This path is closed,” He warned, the empress moving away from it wordlessly as she opened a door and entered what seemed to be an abandoned bookstore. _“No clear paths to either side yet. I could brute-force my way through even without killing anyone, but that would be rather risky…”_ She thought, until she heard a voice.

“Sorry honey, I have an appointment with Paulo soon. You’ll have to wait, unless you want to piss off the Howlers. We might be able to play later, though…” A woman said playfully, drawing Emily's attention. The woman was rather obviously a prostitute, her wording and tone compounding her far-too-short skirt that barely covered her rear and top that consisted of little more than a brassiere under a jacket. What struck Emily the most, however, was the woman’s face: It was incredibly similar to her own, practically spot-on as far as she could tell. The only difference between them aside from their clothing was that the woman wore her hair down as opposed to the bowl Emily used. Even her voice was fairly close to the empress’ own, merely lacking the 23 years worth of royal refinement. They were so similar, in fact, that Emily got an idea. She wordlessly approached the woman, making her fake smile turn into a look of worry. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Get back!” She demanded as the empress took out a sleep dart. A few moments later, the woman laid unconscious on the dusty floor while her assailant read through the woman’s nearby notebook.

_“‘3 PM appointment with Paulo. Walk through the front gate with Adam like always. Note: wear the Empress Emily outfit and have it on before going to the saloon, play the role, hair down’? No, there’s no way that’s what I’m thinking it is…”_ She thought to herself as she read the note, opening the prostitute’s bag and feeling her stomach turn over as she saw what was within: A perverted recreation of her standard outfit, with the trousers cut away to the point of barely covering more flesh than just wearing panties, revealing the legs completely alongside a shirt so small that it would only barely be able to keep in even Emily’s modest C-cup breasts and would completely reveal the lower half of her torso. The equivalent to her coat was equally impractical, barely the size of a suit jacket compared to her greatcoat and without any way of closing it, only serving to accentuate the wearer’s bust. Lastly, the boots were exchanged for black high-heels.

Emily's mind raced with a flurry of emotions, disgust and anger at Paulo mixing with pity for the working girl forced to sell herself and a shameful twinge of curiosity and arousal about the outfit. Her cheeks burned as she thought about the implications of fetish costume, making her skin crawl. A phantom beat sounded in the back of her mind.

_‘She dreamed of being an actress, once. Her father had almost saved enough coin for lessons when the mine collapsed on top of him. Whatever she didn’t spend on his funeral was taken by the Duke and Howlers as tax and tribute.’_ The Heart revealed, Jessamine's voice drawing the humiliated empress away from her thoughts. Kaldwin took out the monstrosity, giving it a squeeze for more secrets. _‘After three long years, she almost has enough coin to move away from this place and start again.’_

Emily looked down at the woman, frowning. She checked her surroundings to make sure she was alone, Dark Vision revealing no-one else. The floor of the building she was on had most of its entrance boarded up, with only one door that she made sure was locked, sparing her from any unwanted onlookers for what came next. _“This is my best chance of getting the combination. Just do it, Emily. Put the outfit on, get inside the Crone’s Hand, and leave when I have the answer…”_ She planned out as she started emptying the street-walker’s bag. She set the contents next to its owner, placing her weapons and gear inside. The only exception was a pouch of her money she put next to the prostitute, 1000 coin contained within. _“Hopefully, this will be the last of what she needs,”_ Emily thought. Next, she hesitantly took off her mask, revealing her face as she undid the pins and straps keeping her hair in place. The raven black hair flowed just past her shoulders, a small feeling of relief passing through her as she let her hair down for the first time in weeks.

Within a few minutes, she had stripped out of her clothes and put them in the bag, putting on the disguise with a deep blush. The shorts were even more revealing and uncomfortable than she had imagined, the thing squeezing her ass and crotch so tightly that she had no doubt every inch of her was clearly defined. The shirt was even worse, her nipples visibly hard beneath the thin fabric with the jacket highlighting how small the shirt was. The feeling of the warm air of the district on her legs and belly were an odd sensation to her as she practiced walking in the heels. Shame, humiliation, and arousal made up her blush in equal measures while her sex began to heat up from wearing the whorish clothes. After getting used to walking in them, she closed her eyes and sighed. Calling on the Void, she summoned her doppelganger, the copy appearing a few feet away.

As always, Drexel looked identical to herself in every way, causing another shot of excitement when she saw just how tight the clothes looked to an outsider. It was even worse than she’d thought, the front of the bottoms cut so low that she could see a fair chunk of her bush, making her subconsciously put a hand over her crotch as the warmth increased. Her clone was not nearly as hot and bothered, not caring in the slightest how revealed it was. “Hello, Emily. Apologies for the incident and the Royal Conservatory, Ashworth’s magic was too powerful,” Drexel explained, her usual monotone voice almost managing to be apologetic.

Emily nodded. “All is forgiven. I want you to stay here and protect this woman,” She said, pointing to the non-magical look alike. “Don’t let anyone harm her or steal from her.” Drexel nodded in understanding. Kaldwin walked to the door with the bag slung over her shoulder and activated Shadow Walk, slowly crawling towards the Howlers’ base without getting noticed. Emily correctly figured that if it kept everything she’s wearing when in the form, it would keep whatever she was holding as well. She came to a brief stop in the dark while she waited for a pair of miners to walk by. While having people stare at her dressed like that would feel thrilling, she was already taking a massive risk with her plan with only the Howlers around. _“Last thing I need is for someone to realize it’s actually me and start a fight between the Abbey, Howlers and I. Besides, I wouldn't be able to fool Hypatia, and explaining why I’m dressed like a courtesan would be a pain,”_ She reasoned as she became human again at the top of the staircase, walking up to the border.

The same guard was there as earlier, looking up at her as she approached. His mouth dropped for a moment, but recovered from the shock at her appearance soon enough. “Here for the boss, Veronica?” He asked, the disguised empress nodding. “Alright. Pritchard, Wei, keep lookout. I’ll be back in a bit,” He ordered the others, motioning for her to follow him. She could feel their eyes focused on her barely-covered butt, hating how much she liked it.

_“Of all the tastes for an empress to have, why did I have to be an exhibitionist?”_ She lamented as she walked just behind the Howler. They reached the front of the saloon, a couple of the gangsters giving a whistle at her. One was a little more bold, giving her ass a hearty slap and making her yelp in surprise. She resisted the urge to turn around and punch the fucker in the mouth, merely clenching her fists and continuing into the atrium while trying to ignore the fresh dampness between her legs. Paulo was sitting near a pair of singers that Emily vaguely recognized, a woman in dusty businesswear talking to him.

“Paulo, you’ve kept the Grand Guard out of our homes, but I don’t see how you can help the miners,” She said, the man in question taking a drag from his cigar before responding.

“It’s all connected, Tivoli. Once the Abbey are off our backs, I’ll make it too expensive for the Duke to run the mines. The miners stop digging, and the Duke’ll see mines producing at half speed are more profitable than mines producing nothing. The people working the mines have more power than they know,” He said with a wave of his hand.

Tivoli smiled. “For better conditions in the mines and less dust in the streets, we’d be happy to up our payments. You have a deal, Paulo. Thank you.” The two shook hands before she left, Emily being brought up to the man.

_“That’s a remarkably good plan. If he didn’t act like a common thug, I’d be glad to support him,”_ She mused.

“Hey, boss? Veronica’s here,” He said with a nod to Emily. The rat-faced mobster’s lips quirked upwards upon spotting her, standing up.

“Alright, I’m stepping out for a bit. Don’t drink all the rum while I’m gone,” He called to his subordinates, getting a few laughs in response. Within a few minutes, Paulo had her in his office. She could the sound of whale songs alongside the beating of the Heart, confirming a shrine was nearby as he brought her to his desk. “Bend over, ‘empress',” He ordered, taking her bag and putting it to the side.

_“If he suspects anything, he’ll use whatever witchcraft he did in Aventa again, and the entire gang with come crashing down on me when I don’t have any weapons or armor. I have to catch him when his guard is down… I could use Stop Time, but he might not be affected because of whatever magic he has. Letting it go like he expects until he isn’t paying attention is my best plan. Besides, I’m already wet and it’s been awhile since I’ve fucked a man, might as well take advantage… ugh, I act like such a whore sometimes. Whatever, he’ll be dealt with one way or another!”_ She reflected.

She obeyed, bending over and leaning on the desk, the shorts riding against her slick sex uncomfortably. She heard him unbuckling his belt, his hands soon enough kneading her rear cheeks roughly, groaning slightly at the force of his grip. He pulled the shorts halfway down her legs, revealing what little flesh was covered. “Noble woman my ass. Just a stuck-up bitch pretending to be better than the rest of us!” He said, smacking her rear hard enough to leave a handprint. Emily gave a mix of a yelp and a moan, feeling the flesh jiggle slightly from the impact. Before she could finish that cry, he shoved his hand up her crotch, four fingers punching through with some effort. Her eyes widened, an inhuman sound escaping her lips. She grit her teeth as his fingers roughly tore at her inner walls, subconsciously pushing herself closer to him. After a few more moments, he pulled his fingers out, making her hiss at the sudden feeling of emptiness. She looked back to find him opening his fly, running the hand that had been inside her along the length of his dick. She drew a breath as she saw it; a remarkable 10 inches long and decently thick. Once it was at full length, he grabbed her by the hips and held it at her entrance.

“Beg for it.”

She practically growled at that. “Fuck me. Now,” She said, her horniness mixing with her anger. Two quick slaps to her rear happened consecutively, another moan of pain and pleasure ringing out soon after.

“Watch your tone, your majesty. I’d hate to have to cut out a tongue as talented as yours,” He threatened, but began pushing in regardless. Her excitement made it fairly easy for him to slide in, his shaft slipping past her glistening folds and rubbing against her inner walls. He pushed her into him, drawing a coo from the empress as she took in his dick. Her walls stretched around him, grinding up and down his length as Emily began rocking back and forth slightly. She closed her eyes, blocking out who was using her and instead focusing on the feeling, breath hitching with every twitch of her lower lips around her invader, gasping when he pulled out almost all the way only to slam back into place, making her moan happily.

She imagined she was in her office, a guard taking her while she poured over all the bureaucratic nonsense that always ended up in front of her. Fingers grinded roughly against her muscular thighs as she pushed herself into his length, giving pleased gasps as it stretched her walls. She smiled dumbly as he plowed her, her breasts bouncing softly with every push. She was the picture of pleasure, spreading her legs further and further with each passing second while he buried himself in her desperate pussy, cooing, gasping, and moaning all the while. Truth be told, whenever Wyman was away for days and weeks on diplomatic voyages, it wasn’t uncommon for her to end up bent over her own desk or sitting under it while she had some fun with a guard or servant. Indeed, she was quite popular among the tower’s staff for that, among other reasons, until the Crown Killer murders started. ‘Emily Kaldwin, the noble slut of Dunwall’, Wyman lovingly nicknamed her one Fugue Feast. They’d spent the entire festival doing a pub crawl and simply being together openly, kissing and laughing and drinking together in peace, though they wore masks just to be safe.

A hand cascaded down on her rump as he pushed all the way in, tearing her away from her thoughts. “The empress herself, spreading her legs and moaning while I fuck her. I guess the rich kid finally knows her place,” He growled. She felt teeth nip at her neck, painful enough that she knew it would leave a mark but serving to accentuate the pleasure from the dick in her. She heard the sound of a bottle opening and saw a cloud of something rise up from behind her before her vision turned pink and everything became a blur. Time seemed to simultaneously slow down and speed up for Emily, every sensation increasing ten-fold and making it impossible to think as she devolved into cock-hungry pants and cries, shoving herself back and forth desperately to deal with the maddening ache of her vagina, cumming around the cock and washing over it even as it kept pumping in and out of her.

All she could perceive was the feeling of him inside her, arousal and joy overriding everything else. If she were in her right mind, she’d have noticed how similar it was to Kirin’s trap or Ashworth’s attempt to break her. For the moment, however, all that mattered to her was keeping the feeling.

***

She was halfway to another orgasm when the drug wore off, her senses returning to her. At some point, they had moved away from the desk, now finding herself riding him on the messy couch on the other end of the room with him sucking on her nipple. She looked around in confusion before settling on Paulo.

“What-ohh~, the fuck was that?!” She demanded between coos and gasps. _“By the Outsider’s eyes, if it’s more fucking aphrodisiacs, I’ll haul your ass all the way to Jindosh’s mansion and fry your brains, too…”_ She thought to herself, rage building at the quickly-apparent fact that she had been drugged.

“Howler dust. Good for spicing things up,” He said after taking his mouth off her tit. She looked at the clock, noting that it had apparently been fifteen minutes since she first got a whiff of the psychedelic dust. The warm dampness she felt on her lower back and was told her he’d thankfully pulled out before he finished the first time.

_“Small mercies, I suppose. He’ll pay for this soon enough.”_

He groaned as he slammed into her forcefully, making the empress gasp. He shakingly grabbed a bone-charm from his coat pocket and held it out. “Hold it, now!”

Realizing what was about to happen, she grabbed the bone-charm and held it close. Moments later, he grunted and thrust into her once, twice, thrice, and finally came deep into her soaked cunt. As his prick shuddered and shot out white-hot ejaculate into her, her pussy convulsed and tightened around him, milking him for all he had as Emily came once more. Her moan was long and loud, stretching as the two orgasms mixed inside her. Warmth and pleasure spread throughout her entire body, leaving her in a hazy state of post-orgasm euphoria. She slowly came back to her senses, enjoying the feeling of the dick in her for only a moment longer before pulling herself off with a wet ‘pop'.

For a moment, Paulo was so still that Kaldwin assumed he was asleep. It was only once he gave a groan and began sitting up that she stopped moving to grab her gear. “You’re not finished yet. Clean up your mess, and make it personal,” He said, gesturing to his shaft. She couldn’t hide the small smile she had, thinking of nights with Wyman where her girlfriend had said the exact same words. She’d grown to love that phrase.

She returned to him, dropping to her knees. The musk hit her strongly, the smell of sex nearly overpowering, but she carried on. She stuck her tongue out, dragging it slowly across the top of his shaft. She could taste herself on him, making her warm up once more. She continued like that for a while, slowly licking his dick clean of their mixed cum as her blush grew more intense with how lewd the act was. She swirled her tongue around the head of it, taking it into her lips slightly before dragging her mouth off of it and moving her attention to his balls. “You make a better slut than empress, you know. On your knees, sucking off a commoner like me… what would all those nobles think of you if they saw you?” He muttered to himself, apparently getting off on humiliating someone as she did by being humiliated. She couldn’t help but let a hand drift south as she lapped at his base, teasing her slit with her index finger. She sucked on his sack, feeling its weight in her mouth as she stuck the first finger in and moaned around it. She suddenly felt his hand on the back of her head, pulling her away from his sack. He was back up to full length by now, and moments later he pushed her mouth onto his cock. Her eyes widened at first, narrowing in acceptance as she adjusted to deal with the first third of his length in her mouth. She stopped procrastinating, putting the finger inside her snatch while her thumb idly played with her clit. Her lips squeezed the shaft in an inviting ‘o' shape as her tongue slid along the underside of it, feeling it poke against the inside of her cheek.

He pushed further into her, two-thirds of his length being attended to be the empress’ mouth. The head stuck around the back of her mouth, not quite going into her throat yet, while she put in a second and third finger into her cunt. “You probably fuck the Royal Protector too, don’t you? Aristocrats don’t care about screwing their own family…” Paulo quipped. In that moment, she genuinely considered biting his prick off, new anger revitalizing the old. She reminded herself of what that momentary satisfaction would cost, instead just settling for nipping at it enough to hurt. “Hey, watch the teeth!”

_“How dare you?! I’d never! How could *that* be a turn-on for you?!”_ She ranted, though the mumbled words were at best the sounds of fellacio by the time they reached the boss’s ear. Tuning him out once more, she pulled back, dragging her lips and tongue along his length simply to enjoy the feeling of it sliding between her lips and in her mouth. She closed her eyes, once again trying to pretend she was servicing someone other than the vile criminal before her. However, she felt his hands pushing her head roughly against his hips, eyes flying open as she found herself suddenly deepthroating the cock. A surge of wetness shot through her, spilling a minor amount of precum onto her fingers. She couldn’t help but moan as he started fucking her face, using her hair as a handle while he pumped himself back and forth down her throat.

She could barely breath around him, eyes beginning to tear up as her gag reflex tried to fight off her invader. Her fingers worked furiously, slipping in and out of her quick and hard. He began to slow down, but his thrusts only became harder. With one final push, he hilted himself and came, sending the first burst directly down her throat. Her eyes rolled up as she approached her own climax, feeling the hot jizz go all the way down.

_“Fuuuck yes~! Treat me like a common slut, by the Void please-yeeees~!”_ Her lust-filled mind thought as he sent his second load onto her tongue the same time as her cunt clamped down on her fingers, cumming almost as hard as before. Her excitement rained down on her hand and the floorboard, Emily's tongue rolling out in a haze as the gang boss used the last of it to give her a facial while she gave a delighted, lusty cry. For a small eternity, she sat there, coming down from another massive climax. Considering she’d been high enough that she lost a quarter-hour’s worth of memory, she’d lost count of how many she had in the day.

After a while, she came back to her senses, blush returning as she realized she still had ejaculate on her face. She used a towel to clean what she could, planning on taking a little longer than normal during her usual post-mission bath in the ocean. Getting up, Paulo spoke again. “Not too shabby, Veronica. You pulled off the voice pretty well. Pour me a drink while I get your coin,” He said, pointing to the meeting room nearby, soon after pulling his pants back up and walking towards the desk in the office, a large painting of his face hanging behind it.

_“Someone has quite an ego,”_ She thought to herself as she found the shorts and pulled them back up as best she could. She took the bag as she walked out of his view, finding a bottle of Dunwall Whiskey and a pair of glasses, pouring one for herself and for Paulo as she took a sleep dart out and poisoned his glass with it. _“Hopefully there’s a way of getting rid of you without helping Byrne,”_ She mused as she handed him the drink, the boss passing out at his desk a few moments later. After waiting to make sure he wouldn’t explode into rats again, she stripped out of the hooker’s clothes, donning her imperial garments and weapons once more. She looked at the discarded fetish outfit, biting her lip.

_“I should burn it. It’s disgustingly disrespectful… but it felt so good. It’s rather well made too. Imagine Wyman’s face if she saw me in that!... Ugh, even after all this, you’re still thinking with your cunt, Emily.”_ She shunned herself. Despite that, however, she found herself keeping the costume, folding it and putting it in her coat-pocket. _“Screw it, I can always get rid of it later if I change my mind.”_

Pulling up her mask, she began looting the room, starting with Paulo. She checked his coat pockets, taking the two bone-charms he kept on him. As she tried to pull back, however, she felt something grab her hand. By the time she could see what it was, the rotting hand had made its way up her arm before leaping at her throat. “What?!” She yelled in surprise, grabbing it. She was tempted to kill it, whatever it was, until she saw the Outsider’s mark burned into its back. The thing stopped struggling after a few moments, sagging in defeat. “Paulo had a mummified hand? This must be that charm that keeps him alive…” She muttered to herself, hesitantly putting it in her coat pocket. _“This will be useful if another witch or guard gets a lucky stab on me in a fight,”_ She mused, taking the painting of Paulo. The rest of the room didn’t have much of note, but the room next to it held the shrine she had detected earlier along with another painting. She touched the runes as the world went white once more.

***

The Outsider was sitting on a rock, looking at her in reserved fascination. “You might just be the most interesting person I’ve ever marked, your majesty. When given every reason and opportunity to draw blood, you find another way. Even when given powers beyond mortal comprehension, you would rather allow yourself to be degraded and humiliated than bring about unneeded suffering, even in the face of men like Paulo.” He said, though his face took on a slight sneer as he continued. “In case you’re wondering, he’s not one of those unhinged cultists who believe I’ll grant them favors if they leave a big enough offering or play just the right musical notes.”

He began sitting up, but instead opted to teleport to her left. “He doesn’t care a fig for me, but, he built this shrine because he found the hand of an old witch I knew once, and Paulo saw right away that it pays to have an edge. Sometimes, pieces of us linger, long after we’re gone…” Another teleport, this time close enough that Emily jumped a little. “The Duke of Serkonos inherited a vibrant city and wasted no time stripping it down to the bone. What will he leave behind, I wonder?”

For once, Emily managed to get a word in. “If I succeed, he’ll be nothing but a bad memory for the people of Serkonos,” She said with a wave. The Outsider raised an eyebrow.

“And what about you? Who will you leave to pick up the pieces here in the Jewel of the South?” He finished, turning his back to her before she found herself in the real world again, the usual rush of power surging through her. At this point, however, she barely noticed it.

“Who will I leave…” She murmured. “I can’t leave the city up to fate, but I refuse to leave it up to the mercy of zealots or criminals, either. Is there anyone who can lead, once the Duke’s dead?” She asked herself, closing the door. She put the criminal’s bone-charms with the rest of them, before noticing the one she had purchased from the shop. She paused, taking it out of the admirable pile of heretical artifacts. “I never did test what this one does. Might as well try it,” She thought, taking it in her hands and placing it with her custom-made charms. After a moment, she felt blinding pain shooting through her body, crying out. It was best comparable to getting gut-punched and electrocuted by a Clockwork Soldier mixed with the first time she used Shadow Walk, the worst instances of physical pain she could think of. She felt her body morphing once more, her eyes wide as she grit her teeth. After a few more moments, it was over, though it took Emily a minute before she could manage to pull herself off the ground. “Fuck… what was that?!” She cursed, feeling different somehow. She looked at her arms and hands, still perfectly human as she touched her face and found no difference. When she found the mirror, however, she could see clearly what had changed.

Her bust had increased considerably, easily at least at the upper limits of a D-cup, if not a flat-out DD. While the size increase was rather apparent, her clothing didn’t seem to be suffering, still dutifully covering covering her even despite the sudden change in shape. She could still feel her muscular form underneath the shirt and coat, telling her that much hadn’t changed at least. Her jaw dropped, moving one hand to her mouth.

“By the Void,” She gasped. “Th-they’re massive! I should have figured someone would make charms for this, but… wow.” She said, hesitantly touching them. Despite the increase in size, they weren’t any more sensitive than her C-cups, but they of course stood out more than her previous ones. She tried removing the bone-charm from her coat, but found it dead and lifeless, the effects not disappearing even after she broke the thing.

“So… they’re permanent.” She sighed. “Wy will love it, but these could be a problem if I get into a fight. I need to train,” She decided, taking out her sword and practicing her strikes and usual moves. After a few minutes, she’d found they didn’t get in her way enough to be of concern, opting to find Durante’s room. Planting a sleep-dart into the only guard near it, she tried the door, finding it locked. _“Of course it’s locked. The Overseers probably have the key. Hmm… I do have those scalpels Hypatia gave me. Maybe I could use them as lockpicks?”_ She wondered, taking out the leather case and pulling two decently long and thin scalpels and putting them into the lock. On the third try, she managed to pop it open. _“Yes! Now to see what the Howler was hiding…”_ She thought, slipping into the room and closing the door behind her. The office itself wasn’t of note, just a generic corner office. However, she found what she was looking for one the desk, smiling as she slid the combination into her pocket. She saw a glint of light in the corner of her eye, looking down to find a key and a note. Reading it, her eyes widened slightly. “I could put Paulo and Byrne in the crates to end this war! That’s the next step before Aramis’ house,” She said to herself. A few minutes later, Paulo’s unconscious body was draped over her shoulder as she creeped along the top of the archway near the pub, looking down at an alley leading down to the shop mentioned in the note. A squad of Howlers were chatting towards the back of their border. _“They’ll attack me if they see me carrying Paulo. I need to take them out, but four at once could be difficult… wait, what’s that yellow circle around their heads?”_ She thought. She squinted, confirming there were indeed dots around their heads. She followed them in a line with her finger, surprised to find a line forming between them as she went. _“A new power, I suppose. Might as well see what it does…”_

She pulled out her crossbow and fired a sleep dart into one, reloading and preparing to fire at the second only to find they’d all fainted. “What? They all fell like dominoes! Awesome!” She spoke to herself, awed by the power. “I just got it and it’s already my favorite.”

Dropping down to street level, she walked past the knocked-out Howlers and strolled to the silvergraph shop, unlocking it. The crates were easy to find, Emily placing the man in one of the boxes and locking it shut. “Time to pay your debt to society, Paulo,” She taunted, taking the nearby gold and silver bars. “Now for the Vice Overseer. Wait, is that…?” She started, seeing a picture framed on the wall. Upon closer inspection, she found it was indeed a silvergraph of her and Meagan on the skiff, Addermire Institute visible in the background. She plucked it from the wall, placing it with the rest of her valuables in her absurdly large pockets. “It’s a nice picture. It’ll look better in my office,” She quipped.

***

The Overseers Outpost turned out to be a complete clusterfuck. Emily had tried to be stealthy, until she came across an execution for people suspected of heresy. While she managed to save their lives, the entire base was put on high alert, the empress only managing to capture the Vice Overseer with copious uses of Stop Time and several Addermire Solutions, which she’d found useful for restoring her energy quickly. Unfortunately for her, she had ran out of it before managing to escape the base. It was only through Dark Vision and a lucky dust storm that she was able to make it into an abandoned house near the outpost.

It was too dusty to see clearly, however, and her head was pounding from the overuse of her powers, preventing her from using Dark Vision until her mind cleared. So, for now, she and Byrne had to remain in the house. It was falling apart, dust stacked high in multiple parts of the house and an overall feeling of disuse permeating the air. She walked into the room straight ahead of her, finding an abandoned bedroom and a dusty book. She decided to skim through it, eyes widening in surprise as she saw the name of the owner. “Paloma Attano? This is Corvo’s house! His mother’s diary…” She pieced together, continuing through the book all the way until the last entry. It could have been minutes or hours spent as she read through the writings of the woman who raised her father. She gently closed the book, taking it with her. “My grandmother was heartbroken when Corvo came to Dunwall. He must wonder what happened, after he left… this will bring him closure,” She ruminated as she stepped out of the room. She felt a draft from the room next to Paloma’s, stepping inside. The room was overgrown with flora, one of the only clear areas a wall that had clearly been meddled with at some point. She found the loose bricks and pulled them out, finding a slightly rusted chalice inside. “The trophy my father won for winning the Blade Verbena,” She said, tone somewhere between pride and sadness. She took it as well, checking outside to find the storm had passed. She gave the house a long, last look before grabbing the overseer and bringing him to the shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter was a pain in the ass to write. This chapter went through no less than 4 drafts before I came up with one that I liked that wasn't completely idiotic, and even then this version was stretching believability. The original was going to be Emily having a threesome with Paulo and Byrne to negotiate for peace, which was acceptably ridiculous until I remembered that Overseers have even less sex than nuns. :P
> 
> I figured, "hey, if the Duke can have An identical lookalike, so can Emily!", and so this chapter happened. The Overseer Outpost section was entirely my fault though, I fucked it up hard after a flawless infiltration of the Howlers base, so I decided to keep the story accurate to the play through on that. But hey, Emily got laid, accidently got bigger boobs, explored her father's past and ended a gangwar, so it worked out pretty well for her overall. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	13. Running Out Of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Emily goes to Stilton's manor, changes time, and has a talk with the Outsider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much no smut in this chapter, so apologies to those who were looking forward to some. There'll be an interlude taking care of that pretty soon.

The mansion was as huge as it was decrepit, vines hanging from the balconies and plants overtaking cobblestone. The air was thick with the scent of rot and dust as Emily walked through the courtyard, the empress looking around at the large walls built around the manor’s yard. “Stilton's sealed off from the rest of the district, but why? What about that ritual could have resulted in this?” She wondered aloud, aiming her hand at a balcony above the front door, intending to climb through a shattered window. However, her shadowy appendage refused to form, nothing but blue smoke emerging from the mark. “Strange. I feel... drained. Something is wrong with this place. Even the air feels off.” She noted, giving up on the plan and instead opening the front doors. The inside was even worse, parts of the house collapsed into dust while flora covered every inch of the floor. She silently crept through the ruins, going up the staircase in the center of the foyer. She heard faint murmurs to her left once she was on the second floor, turning to go down the hallway leading to the source. Something ran in front of her, making her jump in surprise and draw her sword, relaxing when she found it was merely a deer that had taken residence in the home. The voice became clearer from here.

“Time is leaking through the walls… it’s ruining the carpets!” Somebody yelled, some scattered piano notes following it. Emily raised an eyebrow as she continued, finding a ruined bedroom with a massive hole in the floor. She could see Stilton from there, watching him pace around and occasionally mash keys on the piano. 

_ “There he is. He doesn’t seem stable, but he’s my best chance at figuring out how to kill Delilah,” _ She thought to herself, slowly going down as far as she could before allowing herself to fall. He didn’t seem to notice, the empress pulling out the Heart and pointing it at him. 

_ ‘Once, Aramis Stilton knew his name. He worked to improve conditions in the mines. Now, this. The night this terrible thing happened to him, he wanted to meet with Meagan, to confide in her.’ _

The last line made Emily’s eyes widen. The Heart was by no means ignorant of the woman’s allies, meaning it must have meant Captain Foster _. “She knew Stilton?”_ She realized. The man in question stopped in his tracks, turning around to face her. 

“Put that thing away, would you?! Grotesque! Yes, yes, I can see it.” He said, look becoming distant after a moment. “The others can’t, can they…” He trailed off, returning his attention to the piano.

Before Emily could say anything in response, however, the world went a dull grey, the Outsider sitting on the piano. His usual eerie grin had turned into a grim look. “Three years ago, something inside Aramis Stilton snapped like a cheap lock. A part of him and a part of his house never left that evening.” He said, standing up and facing her properly.

“The Duke’s inner circle are still gathered here, setting Delilah’s grand plan into motion. A part of Aramis is always here, still breaking.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She interjected, the Outsider doing little more than giving her a blank look.

“He’s lived like this since then, both stuck in the past and glimpsing at the present. None of his riches or virtues could save him from Delilah.”

Emily frowned. “This is horrible. What in the Void did they do to him?”

He ignored her, turning to the frozen form of the insane noble. “The Void is not exactly a place, and it’s much older and stranger than you could ever know. It watches you from within. At the heart of Stilton’s house, the Void is leaking out from a pinprick left behind from Delilah’s little  _ trick _ .” He spat. Emily's patience ran out, curiosity shifting into frustration.

“Damn it, Outsider! I’m sick of your twisted games. Just tell me what they did!” She demanded, taking a step towards him. He spun around, and Emily’s vision became nothing but those horribly cold, black eyes. 

“Things don’t work like they should here, empress. Even magic is perverted here,” He replied slowly, using the same patiently frustrated tone a parent scolding a child would use, only serving to anger her further. His eyes made it hard to tell when he was glaring or not, but they somehow seemed to lessen from that. He gave a wave, and before her appeared a shimmering object. It looked like a clock mixed the head of a Clockwork Soldier, but with three blades sticking out of the top. “Imagine it as a sort of timepiece. Go, watch the Duke and Delilah. See for yourself what they did,” He said, disappearing into ashes soon after.

She looked at the machine for a moment, studying it. Hesitantly, she reached out and cupped it in her hand, color exploding back into the world as time unfroze. She saw the world warp around her, suddenly no longer in a ruined music room, but in a lively, vibrant room painted red and white.

“By the Void!” She gasped, looking around at the room. She noticed a calendar, marking the date:  16th day, Month of Rain, 1849. “This timepiece lets me travel through time? How is this possible?”

She tapped it again, returning to where she had been moments prior.

Stilton sat quietly for a moment, looking even more distant than previously.

“Theo? Warm the quilts, would you? I feel like it’s going to be cold tonight…” He asked a dead man, staring at his hands.

Emily put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to fix this, Mr. Stilton. I promise.”

With that, she took her hand off of him and traveled back to the past, grabbing the calendar as a souvenir to go with the rest of her collection. A nearby note revealed that Stilton was outback with the combination to his study where the meeting would take place, giving her an objective.

Soon after, she found herself in a hallway with red carpets and drapes, pleasant lighting accentuating it.  _ “Stilton’s home was quite nice before… whatever happened,”  _ She thought, looking through a keyhole into a kitchen, noting how many people were inside and where. Before she could enter it, however, she heard a man gasp.

“Hey, who are you? How’d you get in here?” A guard demanded, drawing his sword. Emily swerved away from the door to face him as he approached. Without thinking, she pulled on the device and reappeared in the present. The blades she saw earlier fanned out, depicting the guard stopping him his tracks and looking around in confusion.

“I can disappear from sight at will? That'll be fun.” She chuckled, walking forward a few steps and making sure she’d appear behind him before activating the device. Taking out her sword, she tapped it against the wall to get his attention before transitioning once more, laughing at the baffled look on the guard’s face through the fans. Next, she appeared at the other end of the room and whistled, waiting for him to charge her before she made the timejump. Deciding she’d fucked around with him enough, she took him into a chokehold and placed his unconscious form into one of the chairs in the room to make it look like he simply took a nap.  _ “That was brilliant! Let’s see how far I can go with this…” _ She thought. She walked to the end of the hall, blocked by debris in the present but perfectly fine in the past. She didn’t bother trying to be quiet as she strolled through the doors, alarmed guards yelling while she stole a key from the table. Moments before one of their swords would have gutted her, she flashed back to the present, reading their lips through the time window.

“Where’d she go?!” One of them yelled, his commander waving his pistol around.

“I was right behind her, there’s no way she could have gotten away!” The man in the red coat yelled. She simply giggled, going down another corridor that seemed to lead into a vault. It was already looted, of course, but she noticed a hole in the wall blocked by a statue of Stilton. Another warp, and she found out who the looter was: herself. 

“Whoever broke into this safe in the future is going to be  _ so  _ disappointed,” She said to herself as she pocketed the contents before reading a note on the wall.  _ “Don’t try to move the statue, hm? Let’s see what changes if I do.”  _ With that, she took out her sword and slashed at the cable, making the bust fall to the ground. Through the timepiece, she saw the world fade to black before emerging once more, the path opened. She crawled through it, and found herself it what seemed to be the ruins of a laboratory or study. Soon enough, she saw it in its original state, a lovely tinkering room with an odd mask sitting on a counter. She looked at it intensely, trying to figure out why it looked so familiar. “It reminds me of Corvo’s mask from back during the Rat Plague. I wonder what I was doing on this night, in Dunwall… or, what I am doing? Both, I suppose,” She muttered to herself, reading a note nearby to the design.  _ “Seems Stilton made it to help the miners breath, even risking himself for it… is it possible to save him? Even if it’s not, I have to try.” _

She carried on, opening a pair of doors to find a large, open room filled with guards. She swapped to the present, quickly dispatching a pair of wolfhounds. She studied the guards through the lenses, noting their positions and the layout of the room. “It’ll be difficult to avoid them in the past,” She spoke aloud, glancing up at the doors in the present and seeing the telltale amber of a nest. “But the room is infested with bloodflies today. With the right distraction, I could get up the stairs, but what should I do…” She planned out, folding her arms. Her recently upgraded breasts got in the way of her usual gesture, drawing her attention. “... These  _ would _ get the guard’s attention…” She began, a blush forming as her mind started entertaining the idea, picturing the shocked and blushing faces of the guards as a mysterious woman appeared out of nowhere only to undo her blouse and gift them the sight of her breasts. Her imagination depicted her not taking a guard into a chokehold from behind, but instead grabbing his crotch and whispering into his ear, the man soon after dominating her right then and there in front of everyone. Her blush darkened as she bit her lip, eyes narrowing in frustration while she pinched the bridge of her nose. “No! You can’t keep indulging these hairbrain fantasies and still expect to beat Delilah!” She scolded herself, shaking her head. “Stop acting like a trollop and take this seriously, Emily!”

She closed her eyes and exhaled, attempting once more to come up with a strategy.  _ “Think of Corvo. What would he do if he were here?” _ She thought, focusing in on nights spent training. After a few moments, her eyes shot open and she smiled. “Yes, finally! I can work with that,” She exclaimed, activating the machine. She drew her crossbow and fired, slamming a dart right into the commander’s chest as she grabbed a stunmine and lobbed it at the three men to her right, shocking them into unconsciousness. She ducked under another guard’s tackle, grabbing him and using his momentum to throw him into a wall. The last one’s mouth dropped as she saw how quickly her peers were dispatched of.

“Oh, fuck this!” She yelled, dropping her sword and bolting up the stairs. Emily chased after, rushing past her backup as she grabbed the door handles and swung them open, sliding to her right before going into the present again. “Incredible! That must have looked so badass,” She laughed to herself, adrenaline and giddiness mixing together in the woman. Her smile grew into a triumphant grin, striding through the rotted hallway until she came across a wooden walkway. She looked through the timepiece, following along to see where it led and nodding when she saw it finished behind the gazebo. “Right behind Stilton. Time to get the combination.”

Soon after, she was crouched in a blooming garden, red roses creating an inviting smell to accompany the beautiful Karnacan nightsky. Aramis Stilton paced nervously, but otherwise looked completely normal.

“What has Breeana Ashworth gotten the Duke up to? All this talk of the Void… such rubbish!” He ranted, sighing. “One day, young Luca will go too far… what would you think of all this, Theo? Your son is a disaster, but what can I do except serve him the best I can? At least I’ll see Meagan in the morning and we can laugh about this…”

Emily quietly dropped down behind him, standing up to full height. “Perhaps he already has crossed a line, Mr. Stilton,” She says, making him jump. He swerves around, staring at her wide-eyed.

“Who are you?! Why are you in my house?!” He demanded. His voice was firm, but he was betrayed by the fear in his eyes. 

“I’m a friend of Meagan’s, and I’m here to save your life,” She replied, making him raise an eyebrow, though he seemed to calm ever so slightly. “The Duke and Ms. Ashworth left out an important detail about this kind of seance: in order to speak with the dead, there needs to be a human sacrifice. He’s going to kill you, Aramis.”

It was a lie, of course, but there was no way for him to know that. He gasped, putting a hand to his mouth. “N-no, he’d never lay a finger on me! My mines built this city… but, he could commandeer them if I were gone. How do you know this? Surely he would keep such plans a secr-” He started before Emily revealed the Mark to him and making it glow and create smoke, making him stammer. “... I suppose someone with your… connections, we’ll say, would know about these sorts of things… I mustn't attend. The guards will laugh if I accuse him of trying to kill me, but that doesn't mean I have to play into his hands. Thank you, friend.” He said, clearly on the verge of a panic but managing to stay level at the moment. Emily suddenly felt the timepiece heating up, taking it into her hand and seeing it grow bright white.

_ “I altered the past completely by warning him not to attend the ritual. I could use him to change the past in other ways before the shift completes!”  _ She realized.

“There’s only one thing I ask of you in return: arrange a meeting with the empress as soon as possible. Tell her about the struggles people face here in Karnaca, and don’t let her ignore it, no matter what. She’ll be more likely to listen to you if you befriend her,” She pleaded, looking directly into his eyes.

He seemed confused for a moment, but nodded. “Yes, of course. Empress Kaldwin could be of great help to the people here if she knew about our problems. Anything else?”

“Yes. Be sure to warn her about-” The last words died in her throat as the world exploded into blinding, hot pain. She would have screamed if it were possible, but all she could feel was reality contorting and shifting around her and contradictory memories being burned into her mind, flashes of events that couldn’t have happened fighting for dominance with the ones she had formed.

For a moment, or perhaps an eternity, Emily Kaldwin was lost to the world.

***

Her ears were ringing painfully, a high-pitched screeching in her head that made her wince. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out the outline of a person in front of her, and that was the moment her hearing cleared enough to hear the man.

“-mily? Can you hear me? If so are you alright? Emily...” He asked, the woman in question nodding on instinct. She blinked repeatedly to clear her eyes, and could finally tell who stood before her: Aramis Stilton, sane, whole, and giving her a highly concerned look.

“I’m fine, Aramis,” She managed, but then paused.  _ “Wait, we’re on a first name basis? We only met today… wait, no, we’ve been friends for years now, of course we don’t bother with titles. I can remember every time we’ve seen each other, but I also remember never hearing of him until arriving in Karnaca and finding him insane. Which ones are real?”  _ She thought, cringing at the sudden stab of a migraine as the two sets of memories clashed. “What happened?”

He sighed in relief. “Thank goodness, you’re awake. We were walking in the gardens, discussing how to deal with Delilah and the Duke, when you suddenly collapsed. You were shaking horribly, I wasn’t sure what to do… are you sure you’re fine? Your nose is bleeding,” Stilton pointed out. Emily touched the spot, sure enough pulling it back to find blood on her fingers.

“I will be, at least,” She replied, looking around. They were in his office, making it obvious that Stilton had apparently carried her after the incident. The green walls were vibrant in the sunlight, making the room rather inviting. She noticed a picture of Aramis, Corvo and her sitting on the desk, both familiar and completely alien to the empress.  _ “He’d convinced me to make a speech, here in the Dust District. Dust District? No, Batista… time travel is so bloody confusing.” _

She stood up from the chair she awoke in, stretching. The timepiece was nowhere to be found, seemingly destroyed alongside the original timeline. Her mark was glowing a bright gold instead of its normal blue flame, drawing her attention. She was a little concerned at first, unable to remember if Aramis knew about her powers. The way his eyes glanced at it for only a second before returning to her face told her he was, allowing her to relax. “I need to get into your old study.”

His eyes widened. “What? Why? I had that room sealed off for a reason,” He said, before dropping to a whisper. “Did…  _ he _ tell you to search it?” He asked. She nodded, making his lips thin. “Oh, I should never have agreed to holding that blasted ritual! But… if it will help you, I suppose I should open it. The only things locking it off are the wooden planks on the front, so it should be easy for you to get inside. I’m afraid I won’t be joining you, however. I feel very uneasy whenever I go near that room,” He said apologetically.

“It’s not a problem. With all you've already done to help, not going into one room is completely reasonable. I’ll head back to the ship once I’m done in there. Farewell, friend.” She said, giving the man an appreciative smile.  _ “I’ll have to sort through my memories tonight. Maybe I could bring it up to the others, but how can I say I went back in time and changed everything without looking like a complete madwoman? I suppose that’s something else to figure out,” _ She mused as she exited the office, going towards the study.

When she stepped inside, the world snapped around her, causing the previously dark room to explode into color. However, some things were black and white, flickering into different objects and positions in stark contrast to the rest of the room.

“This seems to be the worst of it. The two times are overlapping, somehow… heh. Vice Overseer Byrne, if only you could see this. You’d have nightmares,” She mumbled, walking into a guest lounge with silhouettes of the Duke, Jindosh, Ashworth, and the Crown Killer arguing with each other. She observed their banter and the ritual silently (with the exception of practicing her stabs where the Duke stood, sadly without effect), until the moment Delilah appeared. “By the Void,” She gasped as inky blackness formed into the woman who had ruined her life.  She shot out energy into a bizarre statue, collapsing into the Duke’s arms. 

“My spirit is safe now, inside this thing. Luca, you must lock it away,” Delilah requested, Luca nodding why helping her stand.

“I thought we’d lost you,” Ashworth gasped out, tears of joy in her eyes. Emily rolled her own.

“I wonder if you’d still be so happy to see her if you knew how quickly she’d abandon you,” She spat, crossing her arms. To her shock and terror, Delilah spun around to face her. “W-what?!”

“Did you think you could hide from me, little sparrow? I know who you are,  _ when  _ you are. I bet you thought yourself so clever to watch me return, but it doesn’t matter. Someday, you will die at my hands, and I will relish it!” She yelled, pointing directly at the empress. She took a step back in fear, before her terror became hatred. Jindosh watched on in bemusement, Ashworth and the Duke sharing a confused look while Grim Alex mindlessly stalked around the room

“Think about that as everyone you hold dear disappears or turns against you, Copperspoon. Then consider the fact that I’m going to shove a blade through your heart for good,” She taunted, the images fading away to reveal an empty room. “... How was any of that possible? The Void beyond the world is so strange, I’ll never understand all I’ve seen. It’s time to go back to the ship, after a  _ very  _ strange day…”

***

She wasn’t sure what happened. One moment, she was walking out into the district, and she was suddenly tumbling down into the Void in the next. She couldn't even scream, the air ripped from her lungs faster than she could bring it in. She felt something grab her by the hand, looking up to see the Outsider, looking at her with a small smirk. He pulled her onto a rock, crouching down next to her. “Look around you, empress. A crumbling island at the very edges of the Void, seen by almost no one in either world,” He began, teleporting to her right. “But this one is  _ special _ . It’s the place where my throat was cut, four thousand years ago. This is where my life ended, and where it began again.”

She gasped slightly. She’d heard the stories, of course. Everyone had. But to think that it had actually happened sickened her.

He disappeared again, once more appearing on a slab surrounded by statues in cloaks, one brandishing a knife. _ “That’s the knife Zhukov used!” _ She recognized. The god spoke once more.

“Right up until the end, I’d thought I’d find a way to escape. I went limp, but the blade touched my throat and I knew I’d waited too long.” He disappeared for longer than usual, and for a moment, Emily thought he’d left. The Outsider suddenly appeared behind her, the weight of his gaze her only indication of where he was. “The blood ran out, and I became a  _ god _ . I became the Outsider.”

The two stood there in silence, the only noise the howling of the wind. After some time, the empress finally spoke. “Why are you telling me this?” She asked, making him raise an eyebrow. “Corvo, Daud, Delilah… you marked all of them long before I ever caught your attention. So, why am I the one you chose to reveal your past to?”

“I already told you, in a world only you remember. Even though you’ve had my mark for less than a month, you’ve quickly become one of the most interesting people to brandish it in thousands of years.” He vanished once more, a circular portal appearing at the end of the island. Emily hesitated, looking at it for a moment before stepping through. She found herself in a recreation of the throne room, though the wall behind the throne had broken away to show the Void. He was sitting idly on the throne, watching her.

“At the end of her days, Delilah Copperspoon drifted through the Void, and should have been lost forever. But her will and cunning are second to none. She found the island, and it changed her,” He said with a wave. “She tapped into it, and found a way to draw from the power there. Delilah is a part of me now… I don’t like it.”

He stood up, beginning towards her. “We all face our end eventually, Emily. I met mine at the hand of those cultists. Delilah should have fell at Daud’s hands. There have been recent times you nearly met yours,” The god revealed a pair of lifelike statues similar to the ones she’d seen during her first visit to the Void, one showing her strapped down to Jindosh’s electroshock machine, face forming a cringe while her knuckles curled so tightly they turned pale. The other showed Ashworth smiling viciously at a Emily, tied up in her vines with a look of pure bliss and ecstasy on her face while the magic plants were deep inside her, a stunmine falling forgotten at her side. It made her skin crawl, the empress shuddering at the sight. “But Delilah cheated in a way we never would have had the chance to. She snuck back into the world, and put a piece of her soul inside a thing made of bones. You’ll have to return her soul to make her mortal again, and while getting it won’t be easy, what comes after that might be the hardest thing you ever have to do.”

With that, Emily found herself in the Batista district. There was almost no dust to be found, unlike the nightmarish ruins she encountered when she entered the district. 

A loudspeaker came on, a long groan playing throughout the city. “This is the Duke of Serkonos,” Luca began, sounding incredibly frustrated. “At the request of Aramis Stilton, I’m told I need to present ANOTHER set of awards to critical mine workers this month. What is it for, safety? Certainly not productivity, this time! You should all thank Stilton, the only one of you lazy ingrates worth anything. Back to work, all of you!” He yelled, shutting off the intercom. Kaldwin couldn’t hold back a shocked laugh.

_ “He says things like this to his people, and then wonders why so many want him dead. What an idiot,” _ She thought, noticing Hypatia exiting the United Miners building out of the corner of her eye. The doctor began walking towards her. 

“Hello, Emily. Did you find what you were looking for with Stilton?” She asked, smiling. The woman in question was about to ask why she’d said her name in full hearing range of everyone, but then she realized she wasn’t wearing her mask, and a memory shot into the front of her mind.

_ Meagan, Sokolov, Hypatia and her were pulling into the Batista sewer access when the captain spoke. “Most of the city is ambivalent about your rule, but ever since you began working with Stilton, the Batista district has been loyal, even now. They won’t turn you into the guard after all you’ve done with Aramis,” She said, noticeably having both eyes and arms. “Honestly, even many of the guards here would turn a blind eye. You made a real impression on the people here.” _

_ “Aramis never let me forget what the people here faced. I’m glad he didn’t,” She’d replied. _

“Emily?” Alexandria asked, bringing her back to reality. Kaldwin turned fully towards her, the doctor’s eyes widening and cheeks going slightly pink. “Um… you’re looking a little different-not bad, mind you, not at all, it’s just… you seem a little… bigger, in the chest area?” She said, practically whispering the more she went on. Emily took her into a hug, Hypatia instantly accepting. 

“I can explain when we’re back on the ship, but it’s all going to sound insane. Ready to head out?” She replied, getting a nod before they started on their way to Meagan and Sokolov. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this is beginning to get a lot more AUish than I originally expected. Whenever I played through this mission, I was a little disappointed that there was no option to talk to Stilton, so I went ahead and did this. Then again, this is a story where Emily gets fucked pretty much every mission, so perhaps it shouldn't be that surprising that I'm pretty much rewriting the last third of the game. So, quick rundown of what Emily changing time did and didn't affect:  
> 1\. She became good friends with Stilton.  
> 2\. Because of her friendship with Stilton, she was a little more involved in Karnacan politics, making the people go from disliking her in the original timeline to being mixed on her in the new one. Due to the increase of support, the name Crown Killer is never given to Grim Alex, though there were still rumors that she was the killer. As such, not nearly as many people in all of the empire supported the coup, so Delilah had a little more trouble keeping the throne.  
> 3\. Emily still had sex with Paulo to make him drop his guard, but she can't recall how she convinced him to do so in a timeline where Veronica (the lookalike from the previous chapter) didn't resort to prostitution.  
> 4\. Paulo and Byrne are still exiled.  
> 5\. Other than a few minor changes because of the timeline shift, all unmentioned previous events played out in pretty much the exact same way.
> 
> I ended up making Stilton a little more inclined to superstition here, because in game, he's so in favor of trying to rationalize it that it's ridiculous. On the ship, I went out of my way to use powers like Doppelganger in front of him, and he'd just grumble about it being a magician's stage act, so that's a tad preposterous. Side note, the Duke's rants are absolutely hysterical. This mission was the first time I heard them clearly, and I laughed my ass off when he started raving about the Overseers and eating rats. Easily the best character in the game.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please leave a comment or kudos (or both), as it helps my motivation to write this. If you weren't big on it, let me know so that I can improve.


	14. Fights, Bites, and Birthrights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little prelude to the Grand Palace, featuring some magic bullshittery and a bit of smut. Sorry this took so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBH I'm not that happy with this chapter. It took so long because I could just never get happy with any of the drafts, so I just went with one I could stand the most and released it. I promise the next chapter will be the Grand Palace, and will be out significantly sooner than this one.  
> I decided to change the name to be a little less on the nose, as well as the fact that I'm considering having chapters focused on the lovely ladies of Dishonored other than Emily at some point, so might as well change the name to be more general.

It was decently late when the group returned to the Wale, Sokolov heading to bed shortly after boarding while Meagan stayed above deck. Kaldwin had said what was strictly needed to the other two, but decided that she needed to confide the complete in someone, which led to her current situation.

The entire time Emily explained what had happened at Stilton’s manor, Hypatia wore a concerned frown. She kept quiet, willing to at least hear the woman out, but the time traveling empress couldn’t tell what she was thinking, whether it was concern for her stability or about the implications of her story. Emily told her everything starting from entering the Dust District, though she glazed over her time with Paulo. By the time she said she talked to Stilton in the past, the doctor’s look began to change, though she couldn't read if it was a good or bad difference. When she finished, the two simply stared at each other Eventually, Alexandria broke the silence.

“If you’d told me this story a few weeks ago, I would have said you were suffering from confabulation brought on by the stress of the coup. But,” She said, placing her hands on Emily’s own. “The mark on your hand is proof that the world is far stranger than I’d ever imagined. It's impossible, but that word applies to much of what’s happened recently. I believe you.”

Kaldwin sighed in relief, sinking into their shared bed. “Thank you, Hypatia. It’s a lot to take in, I know, but I felt like I had to tell someone,” She replied, smiling. “At least I’m not the only one who knows.”

“You’re welcome, my love,” The doctor said warmly, leaning into her until she laid atop the empress. Emily put up no resistance, wrapping her arms around her and looking up at her fondly. “What would you like to do now?”

Just as the former aristocrat was about to respond, a yell broke out, followed by the familiar bang of a gunshot. The yelling continued as the two stood up, more shots ringing out soon after. Emily threw on her gear and coat, fastening the equipment to her before turning to Hypatia. “Stay here and lock the door. This shouldn’t take long,” She ordered.

Alexandria nodded hesitantly. “I know you’re more than capable, but please stay safe,” She asked, grasping her arm.

The masked felon kissed her in response, nodding before hurrying out into the hall and going up to the deck. Just as she opened the door, a bullet whizzed by her head, close enough that she could feel the heat of the metal, making her duck and run for cover along the railings. The world became tinged with orange as she activated Dark Vision, trying to find the assailants and Meagan. The captain was in the bridge, taking potshots at the attackers, one group circling the boat while another squad was attempting to board. Based on the bodies being tossed around by the waves, at least some of Foster’s shots were hitting their marks. 

Emily took a breath and closed her eyes, clenching her fists tightly and feeling the cold saltwater of the Void flow through her veins as the mark felt like it was melting and freezing at the same time, making her grimace. When she opened her eyes again, the world was a familiar frozen grey, though her eyes widened at the grenade that had been frozen mid-air nearby and seemed to be at the end of its fuse. She gave a relieved sigh at the fact that it hadn’t gone off shortly before stepping away and yanking it with Far Reach so that it at least wouldn't blow her and the ship to pieces. “Alright, let’s deal with you lot without anyone drowning,” She muttered to herself, grabbing the enemy skiff. To her annoyance, however, the boat wouldn't budge, seemingly too heavily to be tugged by her. “Damn. How am I going to do this… hmm. The world’s frozen, so perhaps…”

She hopped over the railing, walking down the side of the ship until it touched the waves, where she hesitantly put her foot onto the water. She grinned when it landed solidly, and began walking along the water to the skiff, casually Dominoing the group. Emily studied their outfits, trying to figure out who they were before punching the closest one in the throat to neutralize them. They were wearing leather armor under their coats and had decent weaponry, though neither did them much good when facing the empress-turned-witch. Once they were knocked out and secured aboard the Wale, she turned her attention to the boarding crew, grimacing as a migraine began to form and the pounding in her ears grew louder. She chugged a vial of Addermire Solution, throwing it to the side while she pulled herself to the other side of the boat. 

_ “Taking them out won’t do us any good if we don’t know who they’re working for. I’ll need to leave one conscious,” _ She decided, knocking out three of them and putting them with the others. She grabbed the remaining man and tossed him on deck, Drexel forming with a flick of her wrist to hold him down once time resumes. “Well, that solves that. Now to talk to Megan,” She mused, making her way up to the bridge. She let time resume, sighing a as the burning sensation of the mark began to subside. “They won’t be a problem anymore, Meagan,” She called, the woman in question turning to look at her, seemingly bemused by her seeming teleportation. The disgraced aristocrat smirked at her friend's raised eyebrow. “They’re laid out on the deck, if you want proof. Remember when I said I don’t lose fights often?”

“... Damn. I almost feel sorry for the poor bastards,” Foster replied, looking at the giant pile of unconscious goons. As the two women approached, Meagan noticed exactly who was holding their prisoner, and began looking between it and Emily. “Which one of you is the real one?”

“Hello, Captain Foster. Emily and I have detained one of the intruders for interrogation,” Drexel greeted, answering the woman’s question. The man in her grasp was still struggling and cursing as Emily approached him.

“Who are you, how did you find us, and who sent you? Tell me truth, and I’ll let you and your companions go. If you don’t, I’ll-” She was interrupted as he headbutted her, the empress staggering back for a moment while Meagan drew her pistol once more and aimed it at his head.

“Go fuck yourself. You think I’m scared of you, rich bitch? I’m not telling you anything.”

She scoffed, drawing her hand back from her now-bloodied nose. “For your sake, I’m going to pretend you didn't do that. Last chance to do this civilly.”

He rolled his eyes. “Figure it out for yourself. Your tyrant whore of a mother surely gave you governesses.” He replied, earning a solid punch from Emily.

“I really would have preferred to just talk, but fine. You brought this on yourself,” She spat, dispelling the shade before looking him in the eye as she ushered in another rush of the Void and did her best not to flinch as she shifted into Shadow Walk, still somewhat unnerving and painful to use even despite all her practice. His eyes widened as the monster grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall, shaping her right hand into a fine point. “Let’s try this again: tell me what I want to know, or I’ll make you wish I would kill you,” She growled out, the threat backed by the monstrous distortion of her voice.

He kicked at her shadowy form wildly to no avail, terror evident on his face. She kept him pinned to the wall tight enough that he started to suffocate, and after only a few more moments he gave up. “F-fine! I’ll tell you! Just let me go, you damned witch!” He strangled out.

She loosened her grip slightly, the man gasping for air. “We’re the Regenters. Some of us have seen you on your skiff, and we tracked it back to here,” He answered, glaring. “You know why we’re here. We were sent to finish the job that should have been done years ago!”

“Look how well that turned out,” She quipped. “Regardless, I want names. Who sent you, and which members know where we are?” The blade began pressing against his chest.

“Captain Esposito, he works from the Grand Palace! He agreed to pay us double the bounty for killing you! You think any one of them has the guts to come out of their way and fight you with the reputation you have? There are hundreds of us who know-” He started until the shadow monster let out a growl. “It’s only us! We’re all the members I know of, I swear!” The man finally answered truthfully.

Emily shifted back into her human form, managing a smile. “Thank you,” she said politely, before slamming him in the jaw. “Take your friends and leave, and if I see you again, it won’t just be your jaw I break!” She threatened, the man nodding fearfully. She let him go, turning to face Meagan.

The captain's face hardened. “Are you serious? They came here to kill us. They know you’re on my damn ship! What's stopping them from coming back if we don't deal with them now?”

“The fact that I knocked out seven of them, severely beat one, and you killed the rest? I’d imagine that’s a rather large deterrent. I told him I’d let him and his associates live, and I intend on being true to my word, Meagan.” She answered imperiously. The man in question had already jumped in the water, soon enough managing to clamber back on their boat. Emily lowered down the goons, watching as he sped off soon after. 

“This better not come around to bite us later,” Foster muttered. She holstered her pistol nonetheless, slipping it back in her coat while moving to lean on the railing. “Another reason to deal with the Duke as soon as possible.  Come to me when you’re ready to start planning it out. In the meantime, I assume you were with Hypatia before you came out, so you might want to let her know what happened,” With that, she flicked on her lighter and began smoking a cigarillo.

***

The following days passed by quickly, little more than a blur of planning the route to the Grand Palace, how to deal with the Duke, some card games between the four of them, and even managing to talk Meagan into doing a drinking contest (which she lost, based on how the captain had apparently dragged her back into her room according to Sokolov) in Emily's mind. At the moment, however, the empress simply cuddled with her lover, idly running her hand through her hair. She didn't know nor care how long they’d been like that, as long as she could take it in for a little longer. The woman next to her shifted, looking up at her. “When the Duke is gone, you’ll be heading out to Dunwall.” Hypatia stated quietly, breaking the silence that had been building up for a period and getting Kaldwin’s attention.

“Yes, I will. Delilah will be the only one left after tomorrow,” She replied, looking the woman in the eyes. “Is something wrong? You know I won’t just forget about all this once I’m back on the throne.”

The doctor's lips thinned, eyes looking anywhere but her. “That’s not what I’m afraid of… Captain Foster will be taking me to Lucia’s tonight so that you’ll be able to head straight for Dunwall once the Duke is out of the picture. But… Emily, you told me Delilah was Marked, like you. That she had the power to turn take away your father's magic, the same magic you use, and turn him into stone with barely any effort,” Her voice began to shake slightly. “You have to face her, and I have to be here for the people of Karnaca. You’re the smartest, strongest, and most capable person I’ve ever known, but… I’m afraid that it might not be enough. I’m afraid tonight will be the last time we ever see each other,” Alexandria admitted, leaning closer into her love. 

The aristocrat embraced her, planting a kiss on her forehead before replying. “Look at me,” She said, her companion complying after a moment. “I  _ will _ see you again, and I  _ will  _ reclaim my throne. Not even that evil bitch can keep me from promising that,” She soothed, cupping Alex’s face in her hand. She drew her into another kiss, pressing herself against the other woman until she found herself on top of her, Hypatia returning the affection readily. “In fact… if you want it, the position of Royal Physician is yours, assuming Delilah didn’t spare her. If Toksvig is alive, you’ll be sharing the position. We’d see each other rather regularly,” She offered, her partner’s eyes widening.

“Emily! That’s-wow. That’s incredibly generous, and would be wonderful… but, what about the miners and everyone else who relies on me? I couldn't just leave them. We don't even know if Wyman will accept me or not.”

Her grace deflated a little, sighing. “I know. I can only hope she will, at any rate. We can figure it out after all this,” She conceded. For some time, the two simply rested together, enjoying their time together in silence, until Emily had an idea. “As this is our last night together for now, why don’t we make it one to remember? Tell me what you like, love,” She whispered into Hypatia's ear, sultry and inviting before nipping teasingly at her earlobe. The empress smirked as she felt her lover’s face heat up, her cheeks no doubt turning crimson with the act.

“Oh~! W-well… I like being in control, to be honest. Being addressed by a title, giving orders and having them be obeyed, things of the sort. Dominant, I suppose. When Dr. Vasco…” She stopped, a look of fondness and regret flashing in her eyes. “When he and I were together all those years ago, during sex, he would address me as ‘doctor’ and do anything I said. I’d like you to do that as well,” She requested, smiling shyly at Emily.

The empress’ eyes softened with sympathy for the widow, brushing her cheek gently. “I would be honored to, doctor,” Kaldwin indulged, her smirk having turned into a genuine smile. Alexandria’s eyes lit up with thankful joy in turn.

“Stand up, and stay still unless I tell you otherwise,” She commanded, getting right into it. Her partner obeyed, standing prim and proper as she’d been taught to do all throughout life. Hypatia got up as well, slowly circling the woman as her eyes looked the woman up and down like a predator and a smirk came to her lips.

“How long has it been since a doctor has examined you, Lady Kaldwin?” She asked, her professional tone being betrayed by her leering eyes and smile. Her hands settled on the woman’s rear, taking a hold of them while awaiting an answer.

“Not counting psychotic grand inventors or near-death operations? About six months,” She joked, gasping a little as Hypatia's grip on her butt tightened, an affirmative hum coming from her.

“I see. Bend over,” She ordered, the former aristocrat complying. Her hand slipped into the other woman’s crotch, slowing feeling up her thighs and ass through her pants and taking silent enjoyment in how Kaldwin’s breathing hitched and face reddened with every firm squeeze and teasing touch. “Muscular and firm, nicely shaped… you’re in excellent condition there. Tell me, how often do you masturbate? Please answer honestly,” The good doctor inquired, making Emily blush deeper while her partner still groped her ass and gave a gentle smack to it.

“F-frequently. Usually at least once every two days… it helps me with stress,” She admitted shyly, looking down. Hypatia shushed her comfortingly, giving her a small smile.

“Despite what the Abbey might say, that’s good. Healthy, even. Aside from the physical release, it helps emotionally as you said. But, I’ll need you to give me a demonstration. For research purposes,” She added with a chuckle.

“Yes, doctor,” She replied with her own laugh as the woman in question fidgeted with her belt. It came off, her pants joining it around her ankles soon enough. Her lover put her fingers into her panties' strings carefully before pulling them down, making sure not to harm the garments she’d stitched back together. “Begin, if you’d please,” She requested. Kaldwin’s right hand moved to her pussy, running two fingers along her slit testingly. She closed her eyes, exhaling as she pressed them in deeper. Her thumb gently rolled around her clit, circling around the bundle of nerves and brushing over her bush while taking in the feeling of the doctor’s eyes focused intently on her sex. Her fingers softly clawed around inside her, up and down slowly and teasingly. She felt Alexandria’s hands unbuttoning her shirt, soon enough leaving her breasts to the open air.

The doctor’s hands clasped around the orbs from the bottom, carefully drawing along the soft flesh. “Don’t stop on my account. I’m merely testing some theories,” She whispered into Emily's ear, the woman in question nodding. She took a handful of each breast lovingly, Hypatia’s fingers gently squeezing the empress’ ample tits while running her thumbs over her hardened nipples and drawing a lovely coo out of her. A third finger joined in, the empress’ soft pants and mewls growing louder and more frequent as it went on, especially when one of the doctor's hands reached around and gave her ass another squeeze, something Emily had found a liking to in recent weeks. “What would you give to have my fingers replace yours, I wonder?” She whispered sultrily, giving her love a narrow-eyed smile. As she was about to respond, the alchemist drew her into a deep kiss, the felon’s eyes narrowing in pleasure between the loving kiss, groping, and masturbation, using her free hand to pull her into an embrace.

She broke the kiss, only to nip at Emily’s neck with surprising vigor and lust. They’d leave marks for sure, something that only served to turn the aristocrat on more.

Alexandria smiled warmly through the growing blush. “Your breasts seem completely healthy so far… but perhaps they need more thorough testing,” She informed, amusement and horniness slipping into her words. Her grasp got rougher, almost pinching her partner’s bust while planting quick kisses and bites down the empress’s neck, making her shiver and gasp. Rough but loving grabs and smacks ran all over her bust and body, making her cry out approvingly. The doctor continued teasing the felon’s neck, one hand trailing south and brushing across the woman’s well toned form while a delighted moan reached her ears.

Hypatia’s thumb quickly ran along the empress’ slit, hand cupping her crotch while she pulled back from her lover’s neck. “I believe a rigorous vaginal examination is in order. Wouldn’t you agree~?” She drew out, teasingly putting just the tip of her index finger inside.

“Oh, fuck yes…” Kaldwin replied. To her frustration, Alexandria didn’t push in further and pulled back when she attempted to push herself in, instead wearing a smug, cheeky grin and a raised eyebrow.

“Fuck yes, what?” She asked innocently, sultry eyes betraying her tone. Emily bit her lip as her pussy sent ached.

“Fuck yes,  _ doctor~! _ ” She gasped out as the woman in question finally indulged her and pushed them both onto the bed, Emily on her back and Alexandria on her side next to her. She strokes were as precise and calculated as her surgeries, rubbing along all the right spots to make the masked felon moan and groan happily while her other hand kept groping her bust. As she slipped in the tip of another finger, her smug look turned into one of genuine contentment while her fingers played her lover like an instrument, fittingly making what had become one of Alexandria’s favorite sounds in recent days.

As her right hand fucked the empress, her left continued to grope and rub her beautiful breasts, delightfully warm and malleable in her grasp. “Hmm… you said a bone-charm made your bust grow like this? I wonder what else they could do, if creator had a different focus? Perhaps it would be worth studying,” The brunette genius wondered aloud, her mind still analytical and curious even in the middle of sex.

“Ah~, pretty much anything, from my experience. The Abbey and the City Watch find it less fascinating, however,” Emily warned lightly, pushing to bury the would-be witch’s fingers deeper inside. The doctor decided to reward her complementing efforts, picking up the speed of her appendages to suit her lover.

“Sadly, yes. So much good prevented by superstition… at least I have a beautiful, brilliant woman to experiment with,” She praised, Kaldwin’s blush now partly from the genuine praise so unlike the hollow attempts to gain favor sycophants, despite being the same words. After another minute or so, Emily was clearly approaching her climax. As Alexandria noticed this, she put the last finger in and pulled her into yet another sloppy kiss, her other hand still playing with her boobs. Her fingers pumped over and over until her walls clenched around them, Emily moaning into the kiss as she orgasmed hard while Hypatia did everything in her power to make it even better for her. She recovered from it a few minutes later, smiling up at her.

“That was fucking amazing,” She praised, still breathing a little heavy. “What next, doctor?”

Alexandria’s fond look became as sultry and smug as when she started fingering her. “Well, you’ve been an excellent patient, so I believe you deserve a reward. You may use your mouth to pleasure me. After all, it is crucial for an empress to be good with her mouth,” She taunted, playing up the domineering aspect for her own amusement, pleasantly surprised to see the corners of her lover’s mouth twitch up at the words. The woman in question moved herself into a better position before getting to work on the doctor's pants. The blue trousers came off with ease, getting tossed to the side while she quickly but considerately pulled down her generic white panties. Soon enough, the fabric was replaced with the aristocrat’s face, lovingly lapping at the doctor's pussy. Her tongue moved along her slit, flicking at her clit teasingly while Hypatia gently put a hand on her head, running her fingers through Emily's dark hair as she performed magic of a different kind. The alchemist’s folds opened for the eager woman's tongue, pleasure flowing throughout her with each stroke of her walls while the criminal monarch’s hands massaged her thighs. As the Empress of the Isles ate out the Saint of Karnaca, the stresses of the future became but distant thoughts in the back of their minds, at least for the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a thing. Hope you enjoyed!


	15. A Grand Time At The Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come at last. Emily attacks the Grand Palace, deals with loss, makes a new friend, and has some realizations about herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the wait! I'd meant for this to come out on Christmas day, but I decided I wasn't happy with the draft I'd had written up. Then it was supposed to come out on New Year's, but I got sick and couldn't finish it. So, we're finally at the chapter that I've been planning since the beginning, the Grand Palace. Please enjoy!  
> Thank you for over one hundred kudos! I never thought this silly little story of mine would get so popular, but here we are with a hundred and a quarter kudos and thousands of views! To everyone who's taken a look at this, whether you liked or disliked it, thank you for helping me continue and evolve my writing!

After all the weeks of hiding in the shadows and leaping from rooftops, the day Emily had been thinking about since the moment she escaped Dunwall was at hand: the day of reckoning for Duke Abele. Before the day was done, he’d either be dead or wishing he was, assuming her majesty succeeded. _“No, WHEN I succeed,”_ She corrected, remembering her promise to Hypatia the night before. True to her word, the dear doctor had departed around midnight, countless ‘thank you’-s and ‘I love you’-s being exchanged as she went, leaving a schematic behind as a gift: designs for her pistol to fire (relatively) quietly, as well as a few non-lethal types of ammunition for it. A stop at the black market was all but guaranteed.

These thoughts filled her mind as she sat at her desk, filling the pages of her journal with a furrowed brow. “... Now, I just have to turn it into reality,” She finished her entry, closing the book and heading up deck. It was a lovely night, the stars out in full force and the lights of Karnaca glistening across the water, something the group of rebels decided to indulge in tonight. Her compatriots were gathered at the back of the ship, talking and drinking together while she approached. A small smile found its way to her lips while she walked, Meagan noticing her first.

“Evening, Emily,” She greeted, leaning on the railing. The woman in question joined her as she turned to the grand structure in the distance. “Are you ready for this?”

She scoffed slightly while she pulled out her telescope. “I’ve been inside a dozen castles and a hundred mansions, and they’re the same everywhere. Few this damn tacky, however,” She added, rolling her eyes at the Duke’s ridiculous abode. “The Duke’s palace can’t be any worse than Lady Brisby’s social afternoons.”

Meagan wasn’t amused, but Aramis’ lips quirked at it. The captain moved to the table, shaking her head. “Dealing with the Duke is only one part of the puzzle. You also have to find… whatever it is he’s keeping for Delilah. You never made that part clear,” Foster pointed out.

“You _were_ cryptic about what you gleamed in the Batista district, which is fine. But once you’re inside, take great care how you deal with the Duke: your actions could have consequences in Karnaca for years to come. Remember that.” Sokolov added, Emily nodding.

Stilton stepped up, clearing his throat. “I know something that may be useful: there is a hidden lever in the pantry that opens a path into the Duke’s vault. If he’s keeping anything precious for Delilah, I suspect that’s where it will be. Along with that, it’s not widely known, but the Duke has a body double, A spitting image of Luca. A likeable fellow too, perhaps someone of interest for you. Beyond that, good hunting.”

Kaldwin gave another nod, pocketing a map of the Grand Palace they had sprawled out on the table. “Thank you, Aramis. I know things in Karnaca are fragile, and I’ve got a lot to think about after all this is done. This sort of lazy despotism won’t happen again. Of that, I swear,” She announced. Soon after, she was going with Meagan to the skiff.

“Ready to visit the Duke, your majesty?”

“Let’s get underway. It’s time he faces justice.”

As they were about to depart, the natural philosopher's voice reached their ears. “Oh, and Emily? I have heard the Duke’s winecellar is exquisite, if you happen to pass through!” He called out, his tone clearly marking it as a not-so-subtle hint and making the empress and even the usually stoic Captain Foster laugh.

“I’ll bring a bottle as a souvenir,” She replied, and then they were off.

***

The skiff quietly made its way through the river, the two occupants chatting as it went. “It’s remarkable people tolerate the Duke,” Kaldwin said, slight disbelief in her tone. Her companion was far more bemused as she replied.

“He’s had an army, whatever control over the mines he can snatch away from Stilton, and a _certain empress’_ silent compliance from the capital. At his parties, people gut the country while eating boiled crab.”

Emily scowled slightly. “There were parties like that in Dunwall. Toadies sucking up to me, stabbing each other in the back in attempts to gain my favor-”

A bitter chuckle interrupted her. “Poor empress. I could see those party lights from where I slept; the roof of an abandoned butcher shop in the Flooded District.” By now, they had arrived at the entry point, pulling the skiff to a stop by the dock. The disgraced aristocrat sighed.

“I know you grew up hard, Meagan. I used to run around Dunwall with my face hidden, explore the city and fight the odd group of thugs, but I could always return to the tower. Karnaca has given me perspective, and I won’t forget what I’ve learned here,” She stated, stepping out of the boat.

The older woman was silent for a few moments before nodding. “Good. I’m sorry if I sound bitter. Just… when you’re done here, there are some things we need to talk about, and if something happens, I’ll have a go at Duke Abele,”

The masked felon chuckled softly. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Meagan. I’ll see you when it’s done,” She replied, going up the stairs. She walked along the back streets, half-listening to conversations of passerbys, until something caught her eye. A bulletin board with a wanted poster for one Mindy Blanchard, the apparent new leader of the Howlers. “For her sake, I hope she’s more reasonable than Paulo,” She mused, making a note to look more into the mobster when she had the chance.

The other major paper on the board made her scoff. It was a poster for a play entitled “ **Regicide: The Tragedy of Emily Kaldwin** ”, a sinister painting of her with a bloodied sword making up most of it. _“‘Witness the true story of the beloved empress turned deranged serial killer, starring Veronica Moretti as Emily Kaldwin’… what rubbish. But… there IS a performance going on at the Grand Palace tonight. It might be a useful distraction, at least…”_ The fugitive thought to herself, taking down the poster for yet another keepsake. _“Hmm… the streets are crawling with guards. I’ll need to get up high.”_

She Reached to the top of the nearby safe shop, soon after crawling up a lamppost and jumping onto a balcony. The place was seemingly abandoned as she swiftly walked through it, exiting through a window in the back and seeing a familiar pair of black hands painted on the wall, an arrow pointing to the left. The aristocrat smiled, dropping down to ground level and finding herself outside the shop as the Heart started beating softly.

 _‘There will come a time where we must part ways, my dearest. I only tell you this to make easier our farewells,’_ it said softly to her, beating faster when she took it out and pointed it behind a pair of singers.

“... How soon?” She whispered to it without thinking, wincing when she realized she’d said it aloud and trying to ignore the confused looks from the people nearby. Her eyebrow raised in confused concern, but she began walking towards the source of the phantom beating regardless, finding a cave with a shrine inside. As usual, the world melted away to the Void, the Outsider appearing before her, though he looked more grim than usual.

“Here you are, back among your own people. The palace born and those who curry their favor. Are these the people you want to run a quarter of your empire? No?” He taunted, teleporting behind her. She had expected it, however, turning to face him before he had even fully appeared. “It never seemed to bother you before. Maybe it’s harder, up close. Harder to ignore how the people outside the palace get through the day?”

Her lips thinned. “Yes, it does bother me. That’s why I’m going to change things. Might I remind you that YOUR mark is at least partly responsible for these people’s lives?” She shot back. He ignored her, as usual.

“In any case, I know what you’re after. The Heart can only hold one spirit at a time, so if you plan to walk out of the palace with Delilah's soul, you better be prepared to leave something behind,” He said, and it suddenly all clicked together for her. In that moment, all Emily could feel was emptiness at the realization that she would have to lose her mother _again_. But it was quickly replaced with a cold, unrelenting fury.

“ _No_ . You do _not_ get to do this to me,” She started, voice rising with rage. “You have no right to do this to me! We both know you could create another Heart, or something of the like to carry her soul! You don’t get to make me kill my mother for your own sick amusement!” She shouted at him, the god standing expressionless. This only served to infuriate her more, the woman throwing a punch right at his jaw but too angry to be disappointed when it passed through without any consequence. She gave more pointless hits, slowing down until she stood still, breathing heavily. At her pause, he took the opportunity to speak.

“This has nothing to do with my amusement, dear Emily. It doesn’t even have to do with what I want at all. It has to do with _her_ ,” He replied coolly, nodding to his right. When she turned, she found Jessamine hovering in the air, as otherworldly as when she first picked up the Heart. She approached her daughter, wrapping her ghostly arms around her.

 _‘My daughter, I love you more than words could ever express. I would give anything to have been with you while you were growing, but I am proud of the woman you’ve become. A kind, merciful soul with only the good of others in mind. So I must ask you to grant me the mercy of passing on from this world, at long last. I have stayed far beyond I was intended to, and I must rest. Release me and use this cage of flesh to save your father. Please, my sweet Emily,’_ She pleaded, voice loving but so, so tired. The familiarity of it, combined with what it was asking, brought tears to the young empress’ eyes.

“I… I don’t want to lose you again. Everything I've done, I've done it for you! B-but… for you, Mother, for Corvo, I will. I promise,” She swore, doing all she could to keep back the tears, though a few slipped down regardless. The ghost had a small, sad smile as she looked at her beloved child.

 _‘Thank you, Emily. You will know when it’s time,’_ Jessamine soothed, before the world faded back into reality. After a few minutes of collecting herself, the fugitive stepped out of the cave.

“First the market, then onwards to the Duke,” She muttered to herself before going into the building. A bell rung as she opened the door, catching the attention of the man behind the counter. He was dressed sharply, a fine yellow suit with a red tie. He looked to be only a little older than her, possibly just barely in his thirties. His gaze scrutinized her while she approached, not-so-subtly staring at her chest with a small smirk on his face. She rolled her eyes, clearing her throat loudly to get his attention.

“Ah, yes. Good evening, miss…?”

She shook her head. “Isn’t the point of these shops to buy anonymously?” She asked, the man replying with an unconvinced ‘hmph'.

“Perhaps for some, but I for one prefer security over convenience. I always take the names of my clients, and I require a name for service. The former owner preferred that style of convenience, but he’s had an… unfortunate accident, I’m afraid,” He informed, his voice laced with the familiar accent of Gristilian aristocracy, a part of the woman idly wondering if they’d met before. “Your name, miss?” He asked again. She rolled her eyes before replying.

“Delilah Kaldwin,” She deadpanned, reaching into her coat and pulling out a decently heavy pack of coin. “Stop asking questions, and I’ll add this in with my payment.”

The man’s eyes narrowed as he stared intently at the money, clearly weighing his options. “Cheeky git,” He mumbled, accepting the cash. “Very well then, ‘your majesty’, how may I be of service?”

For much of the encounter, it played out exactly like any other shop; just upgrading her gear and stocking up on supplies. Then, however, he opened up the shutter for the special stock, and she found herself face to face with a familiar steel mask.

“How did you get this?” Emily demanded, shocked to find Corvo’s mask in a black market of all things. The metal glinted in the light of the shop, dark eyes staring back at here as she studied it through the divider.

“Supposedly, Empress Delilah was having it, among other things, shipped to the Royal Conservatory all the way from Dunwall. However, some… associates of mine happened across the ship first. Ten thousand coin for the mask,” He replied flatly. She scowled, glaring at the man.

“That’s absurd. Three thousand.”

“Don’t insult me with such pitiful offers. Eleven thousand.”

Emily scoffed. “Don’t insult me with a swindle. Let’s compromise. You know what I want, name something you-”

“You look quite lovely in your outfit, madam. I believe you’d look even lovelier out of it, if you understand my meaning…” The young criminal spoke slowly, relishing her reaction. Her eyes darkened as her glare intensified.

 _“Oh, you must be joking. How about I give you a different kind of show?”_ She thought to herself. On the outside, she forced a smile, sauntering up to the counter. “Okay,” She singsonged, leaning down, watching his smile perk up moments before a shadow shot from her fist, catching him by surprise as it wrapped around his throat. She dropped the act, smirking as he struggled against her grip. “Counter offer: Give me the mask and my money back, and I won’t snap your neck like a twig,” Emily threatened. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates,gasping and sputtering as he tried to pull the shadows off of his neck.

“W-witch!” He spat weakly, struggling for air in her grasp.

“How original. I’m losing my patience,” She replied, cold as Tyvian ice as she increased the pressure of her grip.

“F-fine! Take it! Take it all, just let… me… goooough…” He passed out as planned, the empress letting him fall to the ground as she shifted into Shadow Walk, crawling into the shop to claim her compensation.

“Let this serve as a lesson in how not to treat your customers,” She growled out to the unconscious man. Once she had taken her due, she casually walked outside the shop, donning the face of the Terror of Dunwall.

***

As the empress waged through yet another bloodfly infested apartment, she decided that she _truly_ hated the damn things. “How in the Void can the Duke let them get this bad? This is practically next door to him!” She ranted to herself, slicing open the last of the bloodflies. The power source for the wall of light was on top of the building, but the stairway leading up to it had been blocked off by some of the Grand Guard’s iron shutters, forcing her to go through the infested room for access to the roof. “I can get to the roof from the balcony. A little looting first wouldn't hurt though…”

She slipped past the destroyed nests, entering a hallway that led into a mixture of an office and a bedroom. A rune simmered on the desk, but what caught her eye was a painting of a man she could never forget. “Daud…” She whispered, Sokolov’s rarest painting proudly displayed on the wall. His coat was the wrong color, but everything else was spot on to the sight burned into her memory. She took it down wordlessly, unsure of what she’d do with it, but not wanting it to rot in an abandoned house regardless. She turned her attention, to the desk, idly glancing through a novel about the Knife of Dunwall, deciding to take it with her as well. However, she was not nearly as kind to the letter she found next to it. _“‘The tyrant Jessamine’?! You deserved to become a bloodfly nest,”_ She thought with a snarl, not trusting herself not to yell if she opened her mouth. Crumpling the letter, she grabbed the rune and hurriedly left the apartment and flung herself to the watchtower.

She slid the battery out, gently placing it next to her before summoning her shadow limb to pull her up to the roof. The pair of guards were facing away from her, letting her fire a sleep dart into one, soon after Reaching up to the windmill itself and using the momentum to slam down onto the other guard and knock him out cold. With a satisfied smirk, Emily perched herself on the windmill that powered the wall of light, eyeing the railway suspiciously. She had arranged for the rail power to be shut down long enough for her to reach the palace, part of the planning from the days prior, but she still had reservations about running along electric lines. _“These boots may be leather, but I doubt that would save me if the rails reactivated while I’m on them,”_ The masked felon mused. Taking a breath, she slammed the lever down and launched herself off the roof, flinging herself along to land on the railway before dashing down the path towards the palace. Soon enough, she was at the palace station, overlooking the main entrance. Quite a scene seemed to be going on, catching the fugitive’s attention.

“-don’t care what your orders are! Do you know who I am? I am Veronica void-damned Moretti! I am the star of the play! Do you think Duke Abele will be happy if the play HE commissioned has to be canceled because you won’t let me in?! I will have you RUINED!” A familiar voice screamed out, the origin being an even more familiar face.

 _“The prostitute from the Dust District… she became an actress because I changed time. She also became quite the diva, from the looks of it,”_ Emily mused, an exhausted-looking commander trying desperately to calm her down.

“Miss Moretti, I have to ask you to calm down. I’m sorry, but we keep all guests at the gate until we get the sign-off from the First Captain, Captain Esposito, or Captain Almeda. Once we can confirm your identity-”

“Who else could I be?! Do you think Emily Kaldwin would stand here and take your shit? No! She’d have ripped your bloody arm off and beaten you to death with it as soon as she saw you! Or did you just forget that she’s an insane serial killer?! I was supposed to be drinking in the Duke’s chambers by now! You stupid, chest-beating oaf of man, I should-”

The disgraced aristocrat rolled her eyes at the scene, the actress’ rants just becoming background noise as she pulled herself onto the grand lamps of the palace. _“That almost makes me feel sorry for the Duke’s men. Almost. Still, that DOES tell me where **A** Duke is. I’ll start there.” _

Emily pulled herself to the roof, climbing up the angled structure as she crept along the building. Below, a pair of servants conversed, catching her attention once more.

“It’ll be a long night,” A maid sighed, shaking her head. “I’ve ordered food for the Duke in his wine cellar, though Void knows why he’d insist on eating in there. Either he likes it and I keep my job, or he doesn’t and I can look forward to a flogging. What a great job,” The woman deadpanned. Her companion shrugged.

“It could be worse. You could end up like Angelo, that poor bastard,” He gruffed out, nodding to the body of a man, gruesomely hung up and being pelted with rotting fruit by nobles. The sight made Emily’s skin crawl and temper rise. “Still, you’re not wrong. Just… focus on our duties. We’re not heroes, no sense getting ourselves killed over nothing.”

 _“The Duke and his groupies are savages. He better pray he’s not in his chambers right now,”_ She thought coldly, thinking back to the map and finding herself closer to Abele’s room. The roof became too tall to climb solely with Far Reach, making Kaldwin’s lips thin. “Perhaps Shadow Walk could let me climb,” She whispered, the gaggle of shadows practically second nature to her now. The inky black hands of the form dug into the stony white of the building, making a clear contrast as she scaled the roof. At the top, she found an unexpected advantage: The maintenance shaft for the elevator. “Well, hello there,” She rumbled out, and if she could smirk in the form of a horrifying shadow abomination, she would. She dragged herself slowly down the walls of the shaft, then along the ceiling of the Duke’s royal chambers as she heard another all too familiar voice.

“Pretending to sign papers each day. At least I _read_ them, which is more than he can say!” A man grumbled, sitting at a desk on the second floor. The guard behind him looked practically asleep, leaning against the wall so much he might fall. “Leave me. I wish to be alone with my thoughts,” He ordered the guard. He obeyed, the woman waiting until he went by before quietly knocking him out and continuing her slow approach. He sighed heavily, the flick of a lighter sounding out soon after. “The empress gave him almost everything he wanted, and what does he do? Marches right into Dunwall and get Serkonos into a war with Gristol, Morley, and Tyvia! What was he thinking? He can’t even manage THIS government, how does he expect to help lead an empire?” He took a long drag of his cigar, coughing lightly. “I’ll spend my life pretending to be an asshole, and then some assassin will shove a knife in me. Why did I ever agree to this?”

That made her stop, hiding above a line of plants hung from the ceiling. _“Perhaps I can speak with the double. He seems reasonable,”_ She mused, dropping out of her inhuman form and slowly creeping up the stairs. As he continued mumbling to himself, Emily drew her sword, tapping it against the wall and watching him fling around to investigate. His eyes widened in fear as he saw her, drawing back.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” He demanded, quickly trying to cover his fear with royal authority, though his eyes betrayed him.

“I think you know the answer to both of those questions already,” She replied, sheathing her sword and walking towards him calmly. “Don’t you, body double? I heard you ranting about the Duke. You clearly have no love for the man. Well, have no fear, I’m not going to kill you.”

He sighed in relief, but still looked at her suspiciously. “Very well, you’ve figured it out. But if you aren’t here to kill me, why are you here instead of killing the Duke?”

Emily took off her father’s mask, smiling at him. “It occurs to me that you might make a more agreeable Duke than Luca Abele. Should I decide to spare him, do you think you could convince people you’re the Duke?”

His eyes lit up, a small smirk coming to his face. “That’s bold, and I have to admit, it’s crossed my mind. If we convinced them he was the double, I could have him committed for lunacy. It could work; I’ve spent years perfecting my performance, but there’s a catch: He’s got a medallion that I need. Luca never puts it aside, and I’ll need it to convince the Grand Guard. Bring him here, and I’ll handle the rest.”

She nodded. “Get the Duke and his medal and bring them here. Simple enough. When it’s done, I’d like to discuss some plans with you. There’s still time to pull Serkonos back from the brink, if we work together as peers, not a master and puppet.”

The lookalike smiled. “I’d like that. I suppose I’ll see you again soon, empress,” He said with a bow. She nodded before walking back to the elevator, pulling herself to the bottom floor, right next to the cellar.

 _“If he’s in the pantry wine cellar, he might be using it to get into his vault. That makes things simpler,”_ She thought to herself, bringing herself up to the chandeliers above the dining hall. As she saw a Clockwork Soldier stroll by, she did everything in her power not to groan. _“Seems the Duke has some of Jindosh’s Clockwork Soldiers. And here I’d hoped that the mansion would be the last time I ever saw the things,”_ She thought, already dour mood souring. Another flick of the wrist left her by the doors to the staff area, the wine cellar immediately to her left. Unfortunately for her, six guards were also immediately to her left.

“Hey, who are-”

“Damn it!” Emily yelled, freezing time. She walked up to the one that pointed her out, punching him right in the nose. “Stop noticing me, it’s bad for your health!” Regardless, she ran down the stairs and through the kitchen, soon enough finding herself in the Royal Reserves with Duke Abele’s frozen form raising a bottle of wine, bored guards inspecting other racks as she approached her target. “‘Dabovka Luchshiy’... might as well,” The empress shrugged, popping the cork and taking a swig, immediately regretting it. “Ugh, that’s absolutely rancid! Even Dunwall Whiskey is better,” She grumbled, resealing it and putting it in her coat for Sokolov before punching the Duke in the throat, linking the guards with Domino and slamming a sleep dart into one. After a quick swig of Addermire Solution (which still tasted better than the wine), she searched for the secret entrance to the vault. The Heart began beating in her pocket, leading her to a blank wall.

_‘Delilah's spirit is there, just beyond this wall.’_

With a blink to see through her special eyes, she spotted a button hidden behind bottles and glasses, shifting them aside to press it. The wall split apart, opening to reveal a hallway. “Thank you, mother,” She whispered, grabbing Luca and dragging him inside. She closed the entrance once more before letting time resume. The Duke coughed violently, apparently having stayed conscious through her attack.

“Wha-where am I? Who are you?!”

“The death of you,” She said calmly, pulling out her sword as he did the same.

“You dare attack me in my palace?! Answer your Duke and take off that silly mask!” He demanded, glaring at her. She laughed, bitter rage from the day her life was ruined coming back with a vengeance.

“What’s wrong, Duke Abele? Have you forgotten my voice after only a month? Perhaps you’ll recognize my face,” She taunted before taking off Corvo’s helm, the Duke’s anger turning into fear as he realized who stood before him.

“S-surrender, you usurper! Or I’ll send Delilah your head!” Luca yelled, clumsily holding up his sword. She simply raised an eyebrow, easily dodging a sloppy lunge before slashing at his hand, knocking the weapon out of his grasp. A swift kick in the chest sent him tumbling down the stairs, the man crawling away in fear, but she was upon him in under a second. There she stood, her sword pressed against his throat tightly enough that a thin red line was starting to form around it. “No, please, I’m sorry! Don’t kill me!”

“You’re a disgrace to your country, you parasite,” She spat, glaring into his eyes. He made a strangled noise as she pushed it closer against him, eyes widening in terror.

“S-stop! If the Delilah finds out I’m dead, she’ll burn Dunwall to the ground!” He threatened. Her eyes narrowed.

“Then let’s make sure she’ll never find your body!”

He started sobbing and sputtering out pleas for his life, but she couldn’t hear him. All that she could hear was the blood pumping in her ears, memories of that day in the throne room playing over and over in her mind. **KILL HIM** , a voice like hers chanted. **KILL HIM FOR ALL HE’S DONE**. Kaldwin found herself agreeing with the voice. As she stared into his eyes, however, she saw something that shocked her.

She saw she was smiling.

Suddenly, all she could see was the bloodied, sadistic image of herself from her nightmares. _“Emily the butcher,”_ It said, a hint of amusement. _“Quite the title, isn’t it? Do what needs to be done and gut him like a pig!”_

“… No. I’m not the killer you say I am,” She whispered. She withdrew the sword, delivering a brutal headbutt to the monarch to dispatch of him. “Even if you’ll wish I were.”

With that, she grabbed his key, leaving him by the entrance while she entered the vault. Much to her bemusement, it seemed the Duke had his own conspiracy board, marking his various co-conspirators and their fates, all leading back to her. Half a bottle of Dunwall Whiskey sat on the table, no doubt a souvenir from his time in the city. The empress marched past it, taking out the key and unlocking the main vault door, and directly ahead finding the statue that held her worst enemy’s soul. She approached it slowly, dreading what comes next, until Jindosh’s grainy, grating voice filled her ears.

“Hostile detected,” His pre-recorded voice chirped out, and Emily didn’t bother holding back her frustrated groan.

“Oh, just fuck OFF!” The Empress of the Isles growled, grabbing a stunmine and chucking it at the Clockwork, the thing collapsing into sparks and scrap metal soon after. She sighed as she continued, pulling out the Heart. Her mother appeared before her, cast in ghostly blue.

 _‘This is it. You must release me from this dead vessel. Only then will you be able to trap Delilah’s spirit,’_ Jessamine spoke, a thick tension filling the air.

Emily felt a wetness in her eyes, but nodded. “I know, but… I don’t know how I can do this. You were all I ever wanted,”

The ghost took her hand, a fond smile coming to her face. _‘The world is better for your influence, my child. You have proved to me that you are not afraid to do the right thing, no matter how hard it is. I know you have the strength for this.’_

Emily took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “Be at peace, mother. I will honor you, always.”

When she opened her eyes again, Jessamine was beginning to break apart, scattering like dust. _‘Oh, Emily. I love you. This is the final thought I carry with me, into nothingness.’_

With that, she was gone. Before Emily could react, the statue opened up, shooting an unholy blackness into the Heart. It was speaking in Delilah’s voice, but that didn’t matter to her at the moment. She quietly walked back to the Duke’s grand table, took a glass, and started drinking as she began to piece together a plan.

***

By the time she reached the bottom of the bottle, Emily found herself more sober than she would have liked, only a light buzz to distract her from her grief. The empress sighed, standing up and casually grabbing the Duke with Far Reach as she walked back to the secret entrance. “I hope you enjoyed your last day as a ruler, Duke Abele. You’ll spend the rest of your life in a padded cell while Karnaca rebuilds,” She taunted the unconscious body as she stopped time once again, a dull headache forming from overuse of the power. Regardless, she marched back through the palace, soon enough finding herself back in the double’s chambers and subsequently dropping the spell. She let out a whistle, the man in question appearing at the bannister, grinning as he saw the man he’d replace.

“Put him there, on the bed,” He called, coming down the stairs and standing beside her. The double quickly went through his pockets, grabbing a small medallion with red furnishings. “Alright, now it’s up to me.”

“You’re sure they’ll believe you?” She asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. He smirked, chuckling a little as he glared at the Duke.

“Trust me, I’ve spent years mimicking this asshole. You can hide up there,” He replied, pointing to the overhang she hid in earlier. To his surprise, she shook her head.

“While I was grabbing him, I came up with a plan that could help us both. Everyone knows Delilah is a witch, but they don’t know the extent of her power. People might question ‘your’ sudden change of heart, but if we say that Delilah cursed you to think you were the double and said he worked with her to overthrow you, suddenly, the five years of tyranny can be attributed to them.” She explained, the lookalike ruminating on it as she went on.

“I suppose you’d be the one who broke the curse in this scenario?” He assumed, the aristocrat-turned-streetrat nodding. His lips thinned. “It might convince the people, but anyone who truly knows him will be able to tear it apart.”

“The only ones who know him truly either hate him, are sycophants who care about the position more than the person, or are allies of Delilah that will either stay silent and try to stay out of my way or speak out against it and be seen as liars and madmen by the public,” She countered.

“... Fair point. Very well then,” He conceded, walking over to the intercom and taking a moment to get into character before activating it. “Captain Almeda! Come to my chambers. There’s a problem.”

Within a minute, a woman and two men ran into the chambers. “Your eminence! Are you- behind you! It’s Emily Kaldwin!” She shouted, drawing her pistol while her subordinates pulled out their swords. The ‘Duke' raised a hand, halting them.

“Stand down, Captain. Her majesty is not the problem. _He_ is,” He spat, pointing to the actual Luca Abele. “This clown took his role a little too seriously. He conspired with a witch to tick me into thinking I was the double while he’s been making decrees in my name for years!”

The captain raised an eyebrow, lips thinning. Emily stepped up. “The body double was the actual Duke, cursed to forget himself by Delilah before she put his lookalike in charge, making sure she had the support of Serkonos during her coup. She didn’t expect me to break the curse. It seems he genuinely thinks he's the Duke, however,” She explained, regal authority present in every word, silently hoping the guard bought it. Captain Almeda glanced at the unconscious man and to her before an almost amused smile came to her face, looking back to the double.

“I think I understand, your eminence. Men, take him away. I must speak with the Duke,” She ordered, dropping into a neutral look as she turned to them. With a sharp salute from both, they grabbed Luca, dragging him away as he stirred and began ranting and raving, glaring at Emily until he was pulled out of sight. Once they were long gone, she let out a low whistle. “Wow. After all these years, you finally went through with it, Armando?” She asked, stunned approval evident in her voice. He nodded to the empress.

“She convinced me to go through with it. Lady Emily, meet Captain Martina Almeda. She’s trustworthy and loyal,” He praised. The captain looked rather sheepish as she turned to the empress, making an attempt at a bow despite that.

“Your majesty, I apologize for trying to shoot you earlier. For what it’s worth, I always liked your rule,” She said, a small blush coming over her. Emily laid a hand on her shoulder.

“All is forgiven, Captain. But… you knew about this plan?” She asked.

“He mentioned it to me, once or twice. Fortunately for him, I had no interest in having my brother executed for treason!” The olive skinned woman remarked, explaining her willingness to go along with the plan. “I have to handle to paperwork of this, but I have a good feeling about this. It was an honor to meet you, Lady Emily. See you later, your eminence,” She bid farewell, leaving the room. The empress turned to him.

“Now that Luca is dealt with, I’d like to go over some plans with you. But first, I must address my subjects,” She declared, walking over to the intercom and setting it to the city-wide transmission.

“People of Karnaca, this is your rightful ruler, Empress Emily Drexel Lela Kaldwin. I came here to Karnaca, the jewel of the south, with one purpose in mind: to set things right with the Duke of Serkonos, Luca Abele. I have discovered that for the past five years, he and everyone in this nation have been deceived by the usurper Delilah Copperspoon. While I cannot discuss the details yet, from now on, you shall not have to fear the Duke, but instead have a benevolent leader. I am your empress, but my father is Serkonan, and your blood flows through my veins! I will leave now and return to Dunwall, but know this: No longer will the Duke nor the Crown ignore your pleas for help and guidance. A new dawn is rising for Serkonos, and the empire at large. I bid you farewell, and ask you to maintain your faith and loyalty. I will address you again soon,” She closed, shutting off the machine. She turned to her new ally, who gave an approving nod. He led over to a table with various wines and glasses set out, taking a seat.

“What plans did you have in mind?”

***

Over the next hour and several glasses of wine, Emily set up her plans for after she reclaimed the throne. He would officially declare her unconnected to the Crown Killer murders (or the Grim Butcher murders as half of her mind insisted, Emily supposing it was another side effect of time travel) and remove the bounty on her head. Most people had already come to that conclusion, but it would deter wanna-be bounty hunters at least. Along with that, he’d remove the various lock-downs on Addermire and Hypatia, something she was most insistent on. The wine left her in good spirits, sober enough to be rational but drunk enough to ignore what happened in the Duke’s vault. Eventually the topics shifted to getting to know more about each other, but throughout the discussion, she started feeling differently about the man in front of her. Perhaps it was just the booze, but she couldn't help but begin to think he was rather handsome, if a little round for her tastes. She tried to drink away the thoughts, but that only led to her thinking about how his arms would feel on her, holding her as he slammed-

 _“Damn it, Emily, not now!”_ She scolded herself, forcing herself not to blush at the thought. However, that didn’t change the fact that she found herself picturing him between her legs, lapping at her folds while she buried her fingers into the sheets. _“By the Void, I was never this easily excitable before the coup. That’s it, the next time I see the Outsider, I’m demanding answers,”_ The empress swore, even as she felt herself warming up. After ten fruitless minutes of trying to simply outlast it, she gave a light sigh, planning on waiting until she left to have a quick wank on the roof until an unwelcome voice began whispering to her.

 _‘He was always jealous when Luca would bring some trollop or another to his bed, gloating about it the next day. How fitting for a whore to befriend an envious, lustful traitor,’_ Delilah’s soul spat, sickeningly beating in her pocket. _‘When he looks at you, a part of him lusts for you. Such poor taste.’_

She kept on a mask of casualty, even as she subtly slipped a hand into her pocket and punched the thing as hard as she could. Whether or not it actually affected it, the corrupted Heart grew quiet. She couldn't help but wonder, however…

 _“Is she telling the truth? If so… well, he’d say yes if I asked.”_ She finished off her glass before speaking.

“Armando… I won’t beat around the bush. I want to have sex. Are you willing?” She questioned, the man nearly doing a spit take as he quickly set his glass down.

“Pardon?!” He managed in between coughs.

“Exactly as I said. Do you want to have sex?”

“I-by the stars… I’m not against it, but are you sure?” He asked, still mildly gobsmacked.

“Will it require an act of parliament to convince you I want this? Or, perhaps this will do,” She snarked, unbuckling her belt and dropping her charcoal black trousers to her ankles, dark panties standing in contrast to her fair skin. She gently took his hand, guiding it over her crotch. “If you want this, I do as well. If you say no, I will never bring it up again, and will continue as if it never happened,” She said sincerely, looking him in the eye.

For a few moments, he was silent. She was about to pull up her pants and apologize before he suddenly nodded. “I do,” He said, a small smile forming. “Start however you’d like.”

The empress grinned. “Thank you. Allow me to demonstrate some of the benefits that accompany an alliance with the Crown. Touch anywhere you’d like,” She instructed, a hand taking a hold of one of her tits while the other grooved along her lower half, cupping her nice, athletic ass. Emily giggled lightly as she felt him squeeze her voluptuous assets gently. “Rather bold, your grace. I didn’t say any _way_ you want, only any _where_. I like that directness,” She cooed, moving a hand of her own to slide down his pants. He gave a soft groan as she rubbed his semi-erect dick, running her fingers over the sensitive flesh teasingly. She cupped his balls in her grasp, fondling them as she pressed herself chest to chest with the man before leaning in for a kiss. His mouth met hers, the empress letting him explore while she focused on stroking his rapidly hardening cock, thick and veiny in her grasp as her thumb rolled over its tip.

Emily could feel her rock-hard nipples rubbing against the fabric of her shirt, coupling with the firm grasp of the double to make small waves of pleasureful warmth spread throughout her chest and body.

The lookalike-turned-Duke broke off the kiss, going for the crease of her neck and biting down softly, drawing a short, pleased moan out of the empress. “Oh, fuck,” She gasped as sucked on the flesh. However, she pulled back, her partner taking on a concerned look before she put her finger to his lips, silencing him. “Have you ever been blown by an empress? Allow me to change that,” She singsonged, taking one of the dozens of pillows from the bed and laying it on the ground. She went to undo her jacket, but he gently stopped her hand.

“An odd request, I know, but would you be willing to keep your top and boots on?” He asked, the empress raising an eyebrow before moving her hand away, shrugging.

“Everyone has their kinks, I suppose. You might want to sit down,” She replied, the man sitting in a nearby couch as she began kneeling down onto the pillow in front of him. Looking up at him, she pulled down the trousers and was greeted by his length struggling against his boxes. Her fingers ran across the covered shaft, feeling it twitch up at her touch. Soon enough, the underwear was out of the way, and she had an unobstructed view of his dick: Solid and girthy, nine inches with veins making themselves known throughout it. Emily couldn’t stop a pleased gasp from escaping her lips as she took the sight of it in. As her eyes wandered over it, an idea came to mind that sent a shiver of excitement through her. “I want you to use me.”

“... Excuse me?”

Kaldwin could feel the heat in her cheeks as she explained. “I want you to grab me by my hair and force me to suck it. Use me like a whore,” She begged, the embarrassment feeding into her arousal. To her surprise, his eyes lit up like a whale oil explosion. She felt a hand lay on the back of her head, grabbing a fist full of hair a moment later. She briefly cried out at the initial pain of the grasp, but surprise melted into anticipation as she realized he was going along with it. She parted her lips as he pulled her towards his throbbing member, soon finding the tip in her mouth. Her lips encircled the dick, sucking gently as he began pulling her back and forth. The empress’ tongue lapped at him, grooving along his cock and swirling around it.

Aside from her usual appreciation of sucking dick, the feeling of his fingers pressing against the back of her head, pulling her hair like she was a slutty puppet on a string made her pussy ache. Above all else, however, was the power difference between them. While she had always been a great fighter, the greatest in all of the empire aside from her father in truth, the Mark of the Outsider added to that infinitely. The fact that she could think of at least a hundred ways to kill the man before her but instead let him facefuck her was equally terrifying, funny, and hot to the bottomless beauty. Regardless, she stayed on her knees and continued her Serkonan Curtsy, focusing on pleasuring the man she’d be working with for years to come. Her spittle covered his entire length, proof of her work while her right hand began to indulge her begging cunt, pressing her middle finger against her lower lips and closing her eyes as she dragged it along her slit. The black silk of her panties was moist, wettened by the empress’ pleasure while her hand rubbed up and down, softly pumping as her fingers brushed her sex.

She felt him begin to pick up speed, slamming her into his groin faster and harder each time,  a welcome change of pace for the promiscuous paradigm of the empire. Emily gave an appreciative moan as the double’s thick cock pumped back and forth, loving the feeling of his length fucking her face. His grip forced her head up and down his length, making her messily blow him with lustful eagerness, lips greedily suckling along his shaft while it was rammed against her, painted with her saliva. Despite the domineering roughness of his style, his face was tinged in a mild blush, the man gasping and groaning softly under his breath as she worked her _other_ magic.

Her other hand, formerly idle, got to work. Her left hand joined her mouth, wrapping her hand around the base of his shaft in a comfortable but fierce grip, her delicate fingers stroking his cock as fast or slow as she wanted while her mouth was occupied. Meanwhile, her right continued pumping between her legs, rubbing against and dipping into her glistening snatch. Her thumb rubbed from her bush to her clit, fingers brushing along her folds while she continued sucking off her new-found ally.

 _“The first time of many, hopefully,”_ The lusty aristocrat thought to herself, the thought sending a small ripple of excitement through her and slicking her sex. She dutifully licked and lapped at him as he used her, savoring the taste of his girth. Armando's iron grip on the back of her head slammed her down all the way with a mighty cry from him, her surprised hum being interrupted as he came in her mouth, his burning hot ejaculate shooting out and flooding her. Kaldwin’s eyes narrowed in pleasureful acceptance, moaning and enjoying her reward as the new Duke used the proud Empress of the Isles as little more than a cumdumpster.

Emily continued sucking him dry, even as she swallowed load after load of his cum. The gasps and groans coming from her partner left a satisfied smirk at the corners of her lips. She slowly began pulling herself off of his length, cleaning it with her mouth before daintily placing a kiss on its head and pulling off of him completely.

“That… was incredible,” The double panted, breathing hard and face red. One might say he looked blown away, though Emily would likely roll her eyes at the crude pun.

“An empress aims to please,” She quipped as she stood up, soon letting her grin fall into a more genuine smile. “Thank you for indulging me, Armando.”

He let out a heavy breath, a sheepish smile coming to his lips. “It was my pleasure, your majesty.”

The masked felon could still feel the demanding warmth between her legs, begging for attention. The heat of it was almost painful, and she could feel just how soaked her lower lips had gotten from her lewd negotiation. “There’s something I need from you,” She whispered before she turned around and got on top of the bed, supporting herself with her hands and knees as she presented herself to him. “Please,” She quietly begged, casting a needy, desperate look at him.

“Per gli occhi dell'Esterno...” He mumbled under his breath as he took in the sight: The leader of the four nations presenting herself doggy-style with her pants around her ankles and only a dark thong to protect what was left of her modesty, all while she looked at him with eyes full of desperate lust. Even though she had just given him a blowjob, the sight alone was beginning to make him hard. He approached, gently taking a hold of the panty strings and moving the covering to the side, revealing her soaked folds to him, just a touch of pink flesh being visible. She took shuddering breaths as he slipped two fingers into her cunt, gently pushing back and forth while he tried to get himself erect. Her folds eagerly welcomed him in, lustful joy surging throughout her with every stroke and twitch of his digits inside her. He shifted, repositioning himself to rub his dick between her powerful thighs, an interesting sensation for the woman. It was mostly hardened again, only a little flaccid, but that quickly changed as she began rocking slightly, giving him a thigh job. He gave a pleased groan as she pumped him, bringing the thing to full mast once more. He pulled back, positioning it at the curve of her crack. “Where would you like it?”

“... I’ve never actually had anything up… you know,” She shyly admitted, blush darkening. “I’d be willing to try, if you want.”

“Oh! Well then… allow me to introduce you to it,” He said as he messily raised his aim to be level with her one remaining virgin hole, bearing a look of slightly nervous anticipation. His pulled his fingers out of the aristocrat and rubbed her moistness over the back entrance, grasping her hips before he began slowly pushing in. Despite these measures, however, a flash of pain shot through her as the tip began pushing into her, making her let out a light gasp while her eyes widened. He stopped at this, but Emily shook her head.

“Keep going,” She grunted, pushing herself back into him despite the discomfort. _“Might as well go through with it. There has to be a reason Wyman’s into it,”_ She thought, biting her lip to keep from yelling. He obeyed, his girthy cock pushing deeper in. The tight hole practically held a vice grip on him, drawing out a groan from him. The empress found herself somewhat enjoying the sensation despite the pain, the feeling of his stiff length splitting her unused entrance open feeling completely different than anything she’d ever done with her pussy or mouth. Her vagina had only grown more slick and hot since beginning, making her feel like the sun itself was between her legs. At that moment, her partner slammed the last couple inches of his dick into her and against her deep walls, right into a previously unknown sensitive spot.  Emily moaned as the rawest pleasure she had ever felt surged through her, sending a small burst of precum out from her unoccupied muff. Her arms failed her, making her drop face-first onto the bed, arms sprawled at her side. The previous mild enjoyment with each thrust suddenly became incredible to her, making her push her rear into him as much as she could manage.

 _“Holy shit! This is amazing!”_ Kaldwin yelled in her mind, gasping and panting as he pushed back and forth. Her desperate sex would no longer be ignored, Emily unable to resist the urge to fill it. She moved her Marked hand underneath herself, making sure it was out of Armando’s sight before summoning her inky shadow claw, closing her eyes and focusing on it. She twisted and morphed the shape as she had done at Addermire and during the interrogation of the Regenters’ leader. Instead of forming a blade or other such tool, she used the mythical powers of the Outsider, the desire of every cultist and the scourge of the Abbey of the Everyman, to make a dildo. The heretical harlot that is the empress gave a delighted cry as she shoved the magic dick past her folds, thrusting in whenever the double pulled back and vice versa. Being made of the Void, the shadowy object was cold to the touch, a wonderful contrast to the white-hot heat of her twat. The constant pumping of the dicks made her shudder with pleasure, her moans, groans and coos filling the room as she built up to an orgasm.

Thus was Lady Emily Kaldwin; face down, ass up and happily yelling and screaming into the silk sheets of the bed as she discovered the joy of double penetration. The empress’ eyes rolled up as she slammed the void-cock in once, twice, thrice, and one final time before she finally came, a throaty cry of ecstasy escaping her lips as her cunt clamped down on thin air, the orgasm too strong for Emily to maintain the spell as pussyjuice squirted onto the sheets again and again. Her cheeks burned, a small amount of drool escaping her as she rode out her orgasm, only able to fully focus on the gentle rocking as Armando drilled her in the ass. She distantly heard his voice saying something but couldn't be bothered to think about what he was saying, especially when she felt the wonderful, familiar warmth of a man’s cum filling her. Another wave of her arousal trickled out of her, the climaxing empress only able to think about how her pussy and ass felt oh so raw, the blissful fog of orgasm clouding her senses. While she wasn't entirely sure how long she laid like that, she eventually stood up, her new-found friend-with-benefits apparently having put a blanket over her, keeping her warm and protecting whatever was left of her modesty. She smiled as slid her panties back into place and tracked down her trousers, soon enough looking presentable. _“Reasonable, well spoken, good sex etiquette… this was a great decision,”_ She mused.

Armando was laying back in a chair on the balcony, smoking a cigar and looking out at the city in the distance. The empress gently cleared her throat, making herself known to him before fully coming out. “Now, _that_ was incredible,” She complemented, looking over the city she’d lurked around for the past month, having grown fond of it and its inhabitants for good, for bad, and for the downright bizarre. “All this can be changed for the better. _Will_ be changed for the better, with our help.” The new Duke gave a nod of agreement, and for a few moments, they simply took in the sight of Karnaca at night.

Emily turned to him. “After all,” She said with a wink. “I believe I’ve demonstrated how beneficial this partnership can be,” A coy smile formed as she continued. “And I hope this will encourage future cooperation for the mutual growth for our nations and their people, as well as show my dedication to maintaining those relations.” She moved, leaning over him. “Of course, such meetings would need to be held regularly, wouldn't you agree?”

Armando's jaw dropped, his cigar falling out before she caught it, teasingly taking a long drag of it and gently blowing out the smoke all without losing her smile. He nodded in astonishment, quickly adding, “I-Yes, of course, your majesty! I sense this will be the beginning of a long, glorious partnership.”

The empress smiled genuinely. “As do I. I’m departing for Dunwall, and once I’ve reclaimed my throne, our work can begin. Goodnight, Duke Abele,” She happily called out, handing him the cigar and walking to the edge of the balcony before leaping off. Her laughter filled the air, flinging herself across the palace grounds with Far Reach, wind whipping past her as she used her momentum to its fullest. Approaching the private dock Meagan was supposed to pick her up from, she shot another tendril down, falling, falling, and falling even more until she was just above the ground and time froze around her. “‘Don't go falling off a rooftop,’ she said! The words of someone who has no idea how fun it is!” She chuckled, quoting Wyman’s last letter as she floated in midair thanks to Stop Time, stepping out onto the water as casually as if she were walking down the hallways of Dunwall Tower. She quickly fixed her hair as best she could, trying to make it at least a little less obvious that she’d just gotten fucked. She soon enough came across Meagan, presumably having heard her speech, settling into the backseat of the skiff before letting time resume, smirking. “Evening, captain.”

To her credit, Foster hardly even flinched this time. “That’s going to get old someday, your majesty,” She replied.

“Someday,” Kaldwin agreed, shrugging. “But it hasn’t yet.”

The older woman rolled her eyes, a small ghost of a smile of her own coming on at the empress’ mischief. “Sorry for being late, I ended up getting side-tracked. The speech you gave wasn’t too bad. I take it you did something with the body double, then?”

Emily nodded. “The new Duke is far more agreeable. I also got what I need to end Delilah,” She said, putting on her ‘empress' voice, dropping the playful tone for a serious one. “Onwards to Dunwall, and to ending all this.”

***

Armando Almeda could hardly count the list of insane things that had happened to him today. The empress showed up and had him thinking he was about to get gutted, only to instead carry out a plan that made him the Duke before she began begging for sex, had said sex, promised even more, and then jumped off the fucking building. He stared at the cigar in his grasp, idly twisting and turning it as the end burned quietly. “... Just what exactly are in these cigars?” He mumbled to himself, shaking his head as he snubbed the tobacco into the ashtray and simply deciding he had imagined her jumping off the balcony. No way she would have been able to survive such an act, right? "No more of these white leaf cigars."

Regardless, if even half of that was real, he had an _amazing_ future to look forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meagan's "side track" will be covered in another chapter, the first one focusing on someone other than Emily. Also coming next chapter, an explanation for Emily's exceptional connection to the Void and ridiculously high libido.  
> Fun fact, despite the double clamoring about how important that medallion is, he never actually presents it to the guards. I like to think he just wanted it but tried to give an actual reason for pickpocketing it.  
> And yeah, the reference to 100 Ways to Kill Duke Abele was intentional, fucking love that video.  
> "Estraneo occhi" is the closest Italian equivalent I could get to "Outsider's eyes", as going through Google Translate and a couple English-Italian dictionaries didn't give me a direct translation for outsider. Estraneo seems to be a general word for a stranger or foreigner, which also works for outsider. If I happen to have anyone fluent in Italian reading this, could you tell me if this is a decent use of the word?  
> I hope you enjoyed!  
> EDIT: Shoutout to MoonMan97 for providing a more accurate Italian translation!


	16. From Another's Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billie Lurk reflects on the month she's spent with Emily, trying to decide if she should reveal her past to the woman.

Billie Lurk was a hard woman to impress. She’d met some of the most influential figures of her time and had shoved a knife into many of them for one reason or another. In truth, of all the philosophers, aristocrats, and other legendary figures she had ever known, she could think of five worth a damn, and she had helped kill one of them. The death of Jessamine Kaldwin had changed everything for her, much like everyone else. After all, it’s what eventually led to her saving the life of the empress, and thus her current dilemma: Deciding whether she would tell Emily the truth. When she first set sail for Dunwall after Anton’s kidnapping, she’d expected Kaldwin to be tolerable at best and an annoyance at worst while Corvo went out on the missions. The assassin-turned-captain certainly didn’t count on  _ liking  _ the woman, let alone considering revealing her past life to her. Yet, she found herself drinking in some dingy bar by the docks, idly sipping cheap whiskey while she lost herself in her thoughts.

_ “She’ll kill you if she finds out. You’ll deserve it, too. She considers me a friend, and I killed her mother. By the Void, why did I let myself get attached? Why couldn't she have been the spoiled brat I expected, not the kind-hearted woman I have no right to fraternize with?”  _ Billie shamed herself, slamming her glass back and downing what was left. “Another glass.”

The bartender raised an eyebrow, the captain already having finished four glasses, but poured another one anyways. “As long as you’re paying, Foster,” The brown-haired man grumbled, filling the tumbler. When he walked off, she sighed, shaking her head lightly as she raised the glass.

“Barely known her a month, and I’m willing to risk everything I’ve spent the last fifteen years building. I must be crazy.”

Of course, it had been a rather unique month. Emily had become a lot of things to her in that time...

***

**_The Sleepwalker_ **

Meagan was usually up early, obnoxiously so for most. 5:00 AM sharp every single day. Even during her time in the Whalers, she was up exceptionally early, only Daud himself getting less sleep. As such, it was a mild surprise when she woke up at 4:30 to the sound of footsteps above her quarters. Her reflexes had her on her feet within seconds, her old sword in her hand soon after as she quickly snuck up to the deck only to find Emily wandering around, making her roll her eyes. “Lady Emily. It’s rather early for aimless pacing,” She deadpanned. The empress didn’t respond, hands folded behind her back while she began murmuring to herself. She raised an eyebrow. “Emily? Your majesty?” She questioned, still getting no response. She cautiously approached the younger woman, only able to make out a few of her ramblings.

“I feel… edge of… true… save my father!” Emily mumbled, turning to Lurk and revealing her closed eyes. Billie relaxed, letting her guard down ever so slightly.

“So, the empress is a sleep walker. Who’d have thought. Emily, I need you to come with me,” She instructed, gently pulling her along. The sleeping woman went along with it, letting the captain lead.

“... Mother?” The disgraced aristocrat quietly asked, a familiar pang of regret and self-loathing going through the former assassin.

“No, I’m not. Let’s just get you to bed,” She managed to get out, tuning out the rest of her new shipmate’s incoherent ramblings. Soon enough, the one-eyed (one-eyed? No, she never lost an eye, how could that have been the case?) woman was trying to get the fugitive to lie down, eventually succeeding when whatever dream the empress was acting out ended. Once the captain was sure she was done, she checked the time. 5:00 AM.

_ “So much for getting back to sleep,”  _ She mused, shambling into the kitchen and starting a pot of coffee.

***

**_The Deckhand_ **

“Oh, come on! Work, you stupid, bloody bolts! Turn damn it!”

The former assassin turned, looking towards the source of the noise. Another drawn out groan made it clear her aristocratic cargo was in the engine room.

_ “Probably trying to fix the leak. Hmm. More inclined to be helpful than I thought,”  _ Foster mused. Initially, she simply ignored it, taking long drags from her cigar while she looked across the water. After at least fifteen minutes of Emily cursing out her ship, she sighed, dropping the tobacco and stomping it out. She stepped away from the railing, shaking her head as she began walking towards the origin of the shout. More frustrated grunts and groans echoed up from the engine room, Emily calling out some  _ very  _ unladylike things in every language Lurk knew, and likely in ones she didn’t if her rather loose understanding of Morlish was anything to go by. Just as the older woman was about to tell her to give up, she got into the room proper, and her throat went dry. The room was obnoxiously hot as always, steam blowing out from the pipes and the engines emitting more warmth than a Tyvian fireplace, not helped by the inch of mildly heated water currently flooding the room, but that’s not what stole her breath away. She had gotten used to the heat of a ship’s engines long ago. No, what suddenly made her hot and bothered was the sight of the empress practically naked from the waist down, only wearing what was practically a thong and boots while she worked on screwing a pressure valve in, sweat sheening her athletic hips, ass and legs in the red glare of the lights. Her trousers were crumpled up in a dry corner of the room, apparently too hot for her to work in. As such, her fine ass was on display with its wonderful curves atop muscular thigh. Kaldwin just  _ had _ to be leaning over, too, unknowingly giving the captain quite a sight. The elegant scarf she had been wearing when Meagan rescued her was now between her hip and panty string, clearly working as a sweat towel while she fiddled with the machinery. Her top was a plain white workshirt she’d borrowed from Meagan, visibly wet with sweat and water causing it to tightly cling to her lovely rack, almost visible through the fabric. Meanwhile, one hand held the valve in place while the other held a spanner in a vice grip, her elegant fingers twisting it around bolt over and over with little success, another one jiggling and rattling above her. It refused to tighten, still wobbling no matter how much she turned it and practically taunting her with the sound of rattling metal. After one final attempt, she let out a guttural growl, glaring at it.

“Fuck it,” She spat, releasing the bolt before slamming the wrench against it, again and again before moving onto the other one and not stopping until her rage was satisfied. Of course, the way her exposed hips moved with her strikes only served to make things worse for Billie, a wonderful shaking that served to accentuate just how small the empress’ current garments really were. By the time she was done, the things certainly weren’t wobbling anymore, practically fused into the wall by the aristocrat’s percussion maintenance. She let out a sigh, weakly trying to turn the valve. To both their absolute shock, it actually turned, and the artificial waterfall came to an end with one last  _ plop _ . After looking on in surprise, the empress let out a manic laugh. “Yes! Finally! Empress, swordswoman,  _ and  _ deckhand!” She triumphantly called out, grabbing her scarf/rag and wiping the sweat and moisture from her face.

Her fixed ship was not what was on Foster’ mind.  _ “What am I doing? She doesn't know I’m here, this is wrong! Even if she did, I don’t have any right to see her like that.” _ She berated herself, slinking away with her face burning in shame and a touch of excitement. The empress was by no means an ugly woman, something Billie had noticed right away. The pictures and paintings had never really done the woman justice to just how beautiful she was, and they  _ certainly  _ had never shown how fit she was, nor the fact that the most powerful woman in the world liked to wear thongs. Why did Emily bloody Kaldwin of all people have to be her type?

After all, it certainly wasn’t befitting for a woman of her station to be half-naked in an engine room, drenched in sweat and water while trying to get a valve to work. Even less so to take pride in it as she had. Clearly, she was even less of a typical aristocrat than Meagan had known. As she locked herself in her quarters and began undoing her trousers, she bit her lip. Damn it, she was actually starting to like her. That would be an issue, she already knew, but all that mattered at the moment was the warmth between her legs and the shame in her gut.

***

**_The Dying_ **

Patience was never Billie’s strong suit. That was one thing that hadn’t changed from her days as Daud’s right hand, never one to sit around and wait. Unfortunately for her, that’s all she could do at the moment. Like it or not, Emily was the only one who had a chance of walking out the mansion alive, so Meagan had to stay with the boat. No amount of anger would change the fact that she wasn’t as fast as she had been in those days, not to mention the lack of magic. She sighed, leaning back in the skiff. “Come on, Emily. Just bring him back alive…” She pleaded quietly, pulling out a cigarette and reaching for her lighter. Just as she grasped it, what sounded like a crack of thunder rang out, the empress suddenly appearing in front of her and making her practically jump out of her skin, reaching for her pistol on reflex. “Wait, what the-” She started, until she recognized who it was, and more curiously, the mark burning brightly on her hand. “Oh, I understand... Sokolov! You did it! How is he?” She questioned, relief flooding through her. The woman made a note to ask about the mark later, but for now focused on helping Sokolov into the boat. It was only once he was secured that she noticed Emily had to crawl in, dark red staining her elegant clothes. Despite her stab wound, Kaldwin's face was a look of… satisfaction. Almost peaceful, even as she struggled to speak.

“He’s… wounded, but he’ll recover…” She gasped out, her eyes closing. Emily went limp, and Lurk suddenly found herself full of dread and panic.

“Emily? Emily!” She shouted, checking for a pulse. Weak as it was, it was still there, a small mercy. She pulled the woman’s scarf off, wrapping it as best she could around the wound before tying it into a knot. “You better not die on the way,” She grumbled, though genuine concern was in her voice. With that done, she began speeding off to the Wale as fast as her skiff could manage. 

Even at full speed and taking the most direct path she could, it still took her an hour to reach her ship. A full hour of their only hope to overthrow Delilah bleeding out, with the captain dreading the idea that she’d reach the ship too late for Hypatia to help. Thankfully, the empress was still kicking by the time she started pulling the skiff up. She bolted down the stairs, knocking furiously on the doctor’s door. “Hypatia! Emily's been wounded, I need your help!” She called out. The door flew open, Alexandria charging ahead. After that, it became a blur of carrying the two aboard and the doctor starting an impromptu surgery, mentioning something about a deeply cut artery. By the time she had finished, Hypatia’s gloves had been completely painted crimson. She turned to her lone audience member.

“She’ll live, thankfully. But she likely won’t wake up for a while now. I’ll be giving her hourly injections of the elixirs, and other than that, we’ll have to wait,” She explained, clearly relieved. The captain nodded, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“Good. Thank you, doctor,” She said with a nod. She gazed upon the unconscious empress, and now that her life wasn't in imminent danger, came to a conclusion. “You have a lot to explain when you wake up, empress,” She whispered.

***

**_The Screamer_ **

She’d decided to tell Emily a fraction of the truth that night. Meagan honestly sure what surprised her more: the fact that she actually opened up, or Emily's positive reaction. It was a pleasant surprise to not be met with suspicion, though she wasn’t sure she deserved the empress’ compassion. 

_ “She’s awfully forgiving for someone who just got betrayed. That naivety will get her killed someday,”  _ A part of her mused, though she dismissed the thought. Securing the last loose screw on the skiff, she finally stood up.  _ “It won’t be breaking down in the middle of the bay, at least.” _

The captain stepped inside, walking down the stairs and intending on just getting into her quarters. As she passed by, however…

“Take me, Hypatia.” She faintly heard in Emily’s voice, making her stop dead in her tracks. She vaguely heard Hypatia say something, but didn't bother paying attention to what it was, instead trying to think of any phrase she could have misheard that would explain it. Surely there’s no way she heard that correctly-

Aaaand now she was moaning. Warmth flushed through the captain's face, her ears burning as she swiveled on her heels and walked right back up above deck while trying to ignore the thumps and cries coming from behind her. That became harder to do when she could still hear her guests fucking from the bridge, staring up at the ceiling while echoes of Emily having the time of her life reverberated throughout the ship over the course of the night.

“It’s been three hours! Pass out already!” She ranted to herself, trying to block out the noise with the lone pillow she stored in there. By the time finally gave it a rest, the former assassin had already given up on falling to sleep normally, instead opting to simply inject a sleep dart. 

***

**_The Kleptomaniac Chef_ **

Of Lady Emily Kaldwin's many talents, cooking was not one of them. That had been made abundantly clear when she volunteered to make dinner one evening. Billie had been skeptical at first, but eventually relented. After all, surely the empress knew at least the basics of cooking. Couldn't be any worse than her, right?

Emily had insisted on having dinner above deck, leaving the hatch open in the moonlight while she prepared their meal. Meagan and Anton passed the time playing cards, their usual friendly bickering and banter filling the air while Hypatia worked on some blueprints, occasionally joining in on the discussion or having Sokolov check over the design. “... And so the projectile would inject a non-lethal amount of bloodfly venom into the target, just enough to paralyze them for a time,” She explained, the older natural philosopher giving a nod as he looked over the design.

“Ingenious, Alexandria. I’d help test it, but my bloodflies seem to have gotten out at some point. How exactly did the case break, anyways? My study on them was going so well,” He idly lamented, a bemused look coming to Foster’s face.

“Emily happened. She just walked in, looked at it, and slashed it apart. Told me she doesn’t remember why she did it,” She replied, rolling her eyes. “I know for a fact she was lying, but I have no clue why she’d randomly get in a fight with bloodflies.”

The other woman shook her head. “That doesn’t seem like something she’d do,” The doctor responded, moving the designs back in front of her.

“She wasn’t acting herself, the first couple days. Only reason I let it slide.”

After a moment of consideration, an amused look spread across Anton’s face. “Have you noticed things around the ship going missing?” He asked, both of them nodding. “It runs in the family, I suppose. She must have seen the blood amber inside,” He said with a grin, making Meagan raise an eyebrow while Hypatia had a look of realization. “When I knew him, Corvo was quite the klemptomamiac. The sort of man you check your pockets around often because he simply couldn't help himself. Clearly, that’s passed on to our dear empress,” He croaked with a laugh, and when Billie instinctively checked her coat pocket, her eyes widened when she found her coin purse gone and drew out yet another bout of laughter. “I’m sure she’ll hand it back if you ask. He always did.”

“... All the break-ins… wow. Emily is a one-woman crime wave,” She murmured, slinking back in her chair. Just at that moment, Karnaca’s most wanted suddenly shouted out.

“Meagan?! The kitchen is slightly on fire!”

Oh, shit. She bolted out of her chair, leaping down into the common area before making her way into the kitchen. The room was rendered in brilliant orange, the empress frantically running around and trying to smother the flames with her coat while a pan continued burning, flames dancing on the metal and shooting out grease, setting fire to the wooden floor. A clone of Emily ( _ Drexel _ , a part of her recalled) was similarly trying to put out a fire on the wall cabinet, the supply cabinet apparently also being set aflame. At least half the kitchen was burning!

“How? I leave you alone for fifteen minutes-”

“Is that really what matters right now?!” Emily called back, using that shadow claw of hers to rip open the pantry and grab the flower. She flung it to the captain before covering the grease geyser with the same inky limb, still using her right hand to stamp it out. “Throw it on the fire!”

Billie nodded, tearing the sack open and pouring it into the pan to smother the flames. With the source taken care of, Kaldwin took clawfuls of the powder and tossed it on to the rest of the pyre. Soon enough, the last of the embers burned out, the empress letting out a breath. “Are you alright, Emily?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Good. Now, first, give me back my coin,” She ordered, Emily blushing slightly and sheepishly pulling out the captain’s pouch, handing it to her. “Second, what in the Void happened?”

At the aristocratic felon’s silence, the double spoke. “She may have forgotten to mention that she has never actually cooked anything before,” It helpfully pointed out.

“You rat,” Kaldwin grumbled, glaring at her magically summoned lookalike. “It was harder than I expected!”

“What were you trying to make?!”

“... Wei-Ghon rice…”

Meagan glared at the woman in front of her. “Are you kidding me?! How do you manage to set a kitchen on fire cooking  _ rice _ ?!”

“I don’t know! I’ve lived in a fully staffed palace for twenty-four years of my life, I never got around to learning how to cook! That’s why I went with something simple,” She replied abashedly, looking at her feet.

“You learned how to use every weapon under the sun, but a stove is too complex for you?!”

“Corvo had odd priorities!”

The captain let out a huff and resisted the urge to strangle the Empress of the Isles right then and there. “If you ever step in this kitchen again, I’m turning you in for the bounty money!”

***

**_The Friend_ **

The sounds of colliding metal filled the air as the two women sparred, a dance of swords and sparks under the intense Karnacan sun. She’d always known Emily was capable, seeing as how she’d been trained by the only man to ever defeat Daud in a duel, but to actually see her fight was something else. Bruises and nicks covered Billie’s body even despite the empress  _ massively  _ holding back. She could barely keep up with her lightning-fast strikes while still dodging her kicks and punches. Kaldwin clearly had no issue with fighting dirty, not that Foster minded at all as she kicked her opponent in the gut and made her stumble. Instead of risking a lunge, she reached into her coat and tossed dust into her face.

The aristocrat coughed and sputtered, one hand going to her irritated eyes while she backed away struggled to shift into a defensive position. While she was distracted, Billie ran and fell into a slide, sweeping her off her feet before getting a boot on Kaldwin's stomach and pointing her blade at her. “Off day, your majesty?” She taunted lightly, stepping off and offering a hand. Her opponent smirked, accepting it.

“Hardly. I was just being sporting,” She said with a grin, and suddenly Billie found herself in the exact position she’d trapped Emily in and felt the weight of the practice sabre against her neck, a familiar crack of thunder ringing out as Stop Time ended. “This seems a lot more accurate, don’t you think?”

_ “She’s as cocky and skilled as I was,”  _ Billie mused, rolling her eyes at the display. The empress extended her hand and Lurk took it.

“The dust was clever,” Emily praised, withdrawing the blade and helping her up. “Might have to start doing that myself!” While she had certainly done well for herself that round, Emily was hardly without her own marks from their hour-long training session, as shown by a rather noticeable black eye that was already beginning to heal thanks to her magic. Despite the unladylike bruise, she wore a genuine smile, shaking Foster’s hand. “Well, I’d say that’s enough practice for the day. Well fought.” 

“You too. I’m guessing you’ll be with Hypatia if I need you?” Meagan asked, but her friend shook her head.

“I had an idea-”

“If it involves cooking, you’re still banned,” She deadpanned. A slightly amused scoff left the other woman.

“I’m not interested in setting any more fires, thanks. I was thinking shots,” Emily replied casually. The captain raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

_ “Because I might let the truth slip out,”  _ She thought. Instead, she went with, “Because we’ll both regret it when the hangover kicks in.”

“Afraid I’d beat your record?” She coyly asked, wearing a smirk that dared her to prove her wrong. 

_ “Don’t rise to the bait. It’s an obvious ploy-” _

“Or do you not hold your drink as well as you say?”

“... You know what? Sure. Let’s see what the empress looks like drunk off her ass,” Meagan challenged, never one to be outdone. Besides, she’d gone shot-for-shot with some of the most hardened members of the Karnacan and Dunwellian underworlds. Her royal majesty would be passed out by the time she hit half her limit. Emily’s smirk grew to a grin, following the captain down into the common area. From there, pretty much everything is fuzzy, with the only things standing out being that she just barely beat Emily when the competition was over, the empress admitting defeat after an impressive fourteen shots of King’s Street Brandy to Meagan’s fifteen before trying to fling herself to her room. Instead, the inebriated assassin managed to clothesline herself on the bulkhead, forcing an almost-as-drunk Meagan to drag her into bed.

***

In the modern day, the familiar crackle of static filled the air as the city speakers came to life. She set down her drink as Emily's voice rang out across the city, the signal for her to pick the empress up. Tossing a pack of coin at the bartender, she rushed off to the skiff. She was at least an hour out to Point Abele, so hopefully Emily didn’t need too quick of an exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emily's dialogue in the sleepwalking section is taken directly from the first meeting with The Outsider, just chopped up a bit to make it more clear she was mumbling to herself as far as anyone else could tell.   
> I know, Corvo and Emily being kleptomaniacs is hardly an original idea, but it's one that still gets a chuckle from me, so I decided to include it here. Might be the first person to make Kaldwin a screamer in bed, though.  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter is coming out VERY soon!


	17. Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily gets answers on why she's become so easily aroused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double chapter update! Figured I owed it after the VERY long wait for the Grand Palace. Hope you enjoy!

For all of its mystery and intrigue, the Void was disappointingly predictable once one learned to recognize its signs and cues. The same could be said about the dark-eyed leviathan that ruled over it, in truth. Always looking at the world from an inhuman perspective, not seeming to understand certain social graces. Case and point, the black-eyed bastard ushering Empress Emily Kaldwin into the Void completely nude. She was bashfully trying to cover up her exposed form, her right arm obscuring her breasts while her marked hand preserved the dignity of her private parts, forcing her to leave her rear unobstructed.

“Couldn’t you have waited for me to get dressed?!” The empress hissed, heat in her cheeks as she glared at the god, who raised a quizzical eyebrow.

“You act as if I’ve never seen you disrobed before,” He replied, curiously tilting his head. “You didn’t seem to have such modesty when stripped in front of anyone else. Regardless, I can assure you, I take no interest in your nudity.”

She bit her lip, her nipples hardened from the cold and pressing into her muscular arm. After a few moments of consideration, she groaned, moving her arms and revealing her lush body. She instinctively folded her arms under her tits, accidently serving to push them up. “Ask first next time,” She ordered. Despite her anger, she did actually enjoy the feeling of the cold winds brushing over her lithe form like she was swimming in the sea. “I’m sure you already know what I’m going to ask you.”

He nodded, looking somewhat amused. “You wish to know why sex now fills your mind at the drop of a hat, and why it is almost impossible to ignore. There are many uses for a bone-charm, Lady Emily,” He began, teleporting to her right. “Some believe they can grant powers. Others think of it as a defense against pregnancy. As you know, it is both, but there is a third effect many forget about despite it being recorded in all studies of them: A boost in a lover’s vigor.” The Outsider revealed, and it suddenly clicked for Emily. The god smirked as her eyes widened. “Of course, this is a rather minor affect. It only becomes noticeable once one wears four or more at once. To start resembling your libido, it would require a great many of them. How many do you wear, empress?” He asked, his look making it clear he already knew the answer.

“F-forty… I carry forty charms...” She managed to get out, still in shock. She shook her head, trying to focus on the situation at hand instead of its implications. “The price of using bone-charms is nymphomania?”

“In a way,” He admitted. She scowled at him.

“That would have been nice to know  _ before  _ I started running around the city with my hand down my pants!” She shouted, embarrassment and indignation filling her voice. “I’ve been making a mockery of myself because of you and your magic!”

“I merely gave you the tools. You were the one who chose to use them,” He deflected, practically rolling his eyes. He just might have, but it was impossible to actually tell with no visible iris. “Though you are rather unique. Most people’s bodies begin to fail them when they try carrying more than a dozen or so charms. Of course, most people are still  _ human _ .”

“... What do you mean?”

“You made a choice to sacrifice your body to the Void and merge your mind with an artificial form. Your soul, for lack of a better term, left your human form and entered one made of the Void itself-”

“I became a Void Conduit,” She realized, thinking aloud. “That’s why something felt different. I… I’m one with the Void.”

The Outsider nodded. “It’s the only reason you haven’t become like Zhukov.”

For some time, the two stood in silence, only the howling of the wind audible. At last, Kaldwin spoke once more. “Is it true that you can see the future?”

“... I see possibilities. Paths. Nothing is guaranteed.”

“Do you know how this all ends? Do I take back my throne?” She asked, trying to hide the desperation.

“In one path, I see you ruling for decades to come, a beloved empress that will forever be known for bringing the Empire into a golden age. In another, I see Delilah using your blood as paint, your bones as a brush, and your skin as a canvas,” He warned, tone grim. “I’d hate for that to be the ending of this story, Emily. Do try to stay alive.”

And with that, he disappeared in a cloud of ash, and the Void faded into blinding white.

***

Emily found herself back in her cabin, the empress ruminating on what she’d learned. She sighed, grabbing her clothes as she’d intended to before the Outsider’s interruption. “At least that means I’m not a sex addict,” She mused before beginning to pick the bone-charms from her coat. Clearly, she needed to  _ massively  _ cut back on the amount she carried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, Emily changing into a doppel's body in the Clockwork Mansion wasn't just lazy writing. It was lazy writing with a plot in mind!  
> Jokes aside, this was kind of the plan from the start of that twist, and the bit about bone-charms is written down in an in-game book that can be found in Emily's saferoom. Seeing as how it says "lover's" and thus isn't limited to men, it provides an excuse for me to write Emily getting into all sorts of unlikely scenarios without having to *fully* break her character, though I'm not sure how well I did at that.  
> Regardless, I hope you enjoyed! Let me know your thoughts in the comments.


	18. Calm Before The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily arrives in Dunwall and learns of Meagan's secret, sees an impossible face, and reunites with someone close to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I almost missed my minimum of an update once a month, but I finally got this finished!  
> EDIT: Inspired in part by "Ghost" by assassinslover. Thank you to Raven201 for reminding me of the name.

Dunwall was somehow managed to seem drearier than normal, the grey clouds and blackened sky seeming ominous in the pale sunlight. Smoke filled the air and flashes of fire could be seen clearly even from afar aboard the Dreadful Wale, occasional gunshots and screams forming its soundtrack. Emily scowled at the sight of her beloved city thrown into chaos, all because of her damned aunt. 

_ “She’ll pay for her crimes soon enough,”  _ She reminded herself, though the desire to gut the false monarch didn’t subside in the slightest. The cigarillo she’d been smoking had burnt itself out, most of the roll nothing but smoldering ashes held together by whatever was left of the tobacco. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, making her instinctively reach for her sword before yielding when she realized it was Captain Foster. The older woman leaned on the railing, staring down into the depths. “I grew up with this broken skyline. The muted colors, the way the light falls… it’s Dunwall, but it’s not. Have I changed, or does everything just look different when you’re not wearing a crown?” She asked herself more so than her companion, but instead of the usual half-joking jab at her lax ruling style, Foster kept quiet and still refused to even look at her. “Meagan?”

“People have called me that for a long time, but it’s a lie.”

“... What?”

Still refusing to look at her, the other woman subtly took a deep breath, and after a moment, spoke. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but you deserve the truth. My name is Billie Lurk.”

Emily bit her lip slightly. “Everyone has their secrets-”

“Fifteen years ago, I ran with a mercenary gang. We got paid to kill people, some who deserved it, others who didn’t. I… this is hard to admit…” She interrupted, but couldn't help but struggle with the truth.

“I want to hear you say it.” Emily said calmly, so calmly that one might have missed the cold fury in her tone, or the way her eyes darkened. She knew  _ exactly  _ what Lurk was about to admit, but that didn’t change the feeling of being on a tip and just waiting for the crash. If she were being honest, it even scared her, but maintaining her royal etiquette was the last thing on her mind at the moment.

“Our leader, the man who pulled me up from the slums, was the assassin Daud. I was part of the crew. Our last big job together, we were paid to…” She trailed off, still looking at the water as though it was the last thing she’d ever see. Maybe she expected it to be.

“You helped Daud kill my mother,” Kaldwin said matter-of-factly, the former assassin unable to do anything but nod in confirmation. For some time, the two simply leaned at the railing, staring out across the harbor in complete silence. The only thing filling the empress’ mind was a constant loop of all the ways she could butcher her betrayer, unspeakable violence and brutality only contained because of her iron will and silent promise to her father. Her eyes lingered on one spot in particular: A tiny building in the distance, close to Dunwall tower. The spot where her life-no,  _ everyone’s  _ lives were changed forever. The gazebo flickered in the light of the raging fire, the aristocrat hoping it was just possessions and not people being set aflame. Staring at that little structure and thinking back to that day, to what Mea-... Bille, had just confessed, made it all click for her.

“You were hoping I’d kill you,” She whispered, Lurk finally turning to her with her head still hung in shame. “That’s why you waited until we were here, until I could see the Tower. Another hour, and I would have left you without ever knowing. That’s the only reason I can think of as to why you’d tell me now when you were so close to getting away with it.”

Billie didn’t respond, but her silence was deafening. Taking it as confirmation, Emily released a breath she didn’t know she was holding and turned to the woman who helped murder her mother. “Suffering has a way of twisting people. You’re a different woman now than you were then, a better one, that much is clear. But… you traveled with me for all that time and hid the fact that you helped a man murder my mother in front of me when I was  _ ten years old _ . I can’t ever forgive you for what you did.”

“We’ve all been hurt. I know you’re speaking from experience there. Not all of us did what I did, or became what Delilah became. I know you’ll never get over it, but neither will I.”

Kaldwin sighed, tapping down the cigar and sending the ashes into the dark water of the harbor before stomping out the stub on the deck. “Goodbye, Billie. Don’t come back to Dunwall,” The empress said politely, somewhere between disgusted anger and sorrowful fondness. The captain bowed her head, beginning to walk off. Before retreating down to her quarters, however, she reached into her coat and pulled out an old audiogram.

“Daud made this. I’m not sure what you’ll do with it, but you should have it,” The captain addressed, holding it out. Emily took it after some brief hesitation, giving a thankful nod. With that, Billie slipped into the shadows, leaving the young woman alone with her thoughts.

_ “Yet another betrayal,”  _ She thought bitterly.  _ “Another example of me trusting the wrong person. How can I still be so gullible after all these years?” _

Thoughts like these filled her mind for quite some time, her sour mood amplified by the view. As she looked out towards the city, however, she noticed a small ship approaching from the docks. More surprisingly, the ship was flying  _ her  _ seal, not Delilah's as the ships of Serkonos had taken to after the coup. Pulling out her spyglass, she went for a closer look at the approaching vessel. It was barely bigger than the skiff, only four people aboard and all of them wearing what looked to be dirtied City Watch uniforms, though their faces were too muddled by the poor lighting to make out. While she hoped they were loyalists, she still made sure to load her crossbow, Meagan’s recent revelation leaving her unwilling to take chances. Regardless, the small boat continued its steady pace towards them. If she went down to fetch Lurk, the ship would likely reach them before she made it back up, forcing her to stay alone in case it was an attack. As it came into shouting distance, a familiar voice rang out.

“Ahoy, Dreadful Wale! This is Captain Alexi Mayhew of the Dunwall Resistance!” A woman with fiery red hair called out, and Emily froze. Suddenly, a set memories hit her like a brick wall just as they did at Stilton’s manor.

***

Emily was being dragged carelessly by Ramsey, drifting in an out of consciousness. She vaguely heard Alexi cry out her name, seeing her familiar, beautiful face twisted in concern while Ramsey reached for Corvo’s sword behind her. Kaldwin's eyes went wide, an attempt at a shout dying into a pitiful choke. The Captain glanced back at her peer, intending to ask what happened when she saw him preparing to stab her. Leaping back, the sword only managed to cut into her leg, slicing her thigh but otherwise leaving her unharmed. With a cry of pain, she pulled out her pistol, glaring in anger, surprise, and confusion at the man. 

“What in the Void are you doing?!” She demanded, the gun making him stay back.

“Restoring the natural order,” He spat back, grabbing the limp Emily roughly and holding the sword to her throat. “Put it down or I’ll kill-”

**BANG**

His corpse fell to the ground with a thud, his sentence dying with him while the empress collapsed to the floor. “Lady Emily? Emily! Are you alright?” She questioned as she quickly scrambled over to her friend, but to no avail. “I… don’t worry, Ems, I’ll get us somewhere safe,” She whispered, as much for herself as for the woman. Pulling her over her shoulder, she grabbed what she realized was Corvo's sword before making a break for the Imperial Safe Room.

In truth, the guardswoman wasn’t exactly sure how long they remained there, Alexi simply waiting in tense silence for her childhood friend to awaken. Emily was muttering in her sleep, a familiar pained expression across her usually regal face that always made Alexi frown. Though she tried not to show it, Kaldwin rarely slept well,  _ especially  _ around this time of year, distressed mutterings, cries, and cold sweats a far too common occurrence. The only time the empress seemed to be able to sleep soundly was if someone was sharing her bed, something to let her know she wasn't alone.  _ “Maybe I should,”  _ A part of her thought.

Mayhew sighed, shaking her head and turning away from the troubled aristocrat. No, she made her choice years ago. She had her chance to tell Emily the truth about how she felt, and she panicked. If she were being honest, she actually had loved Emily, and still did, but despite all of her accomplishments, the thought of actually having a proper relationship  _ terrified  _ her. After all, she had put notions of romance to the side while she focused on her duties for so long, she didn't know what to do. What if she did something wrong and Emily hated her for it? No, it was so much easier to just lie and say she wasn’t interested than admit that she was scared. She was the captain of the guard, the savior of the empress, and one of only two women to ever beat Corvo Attano in a duel! Nothing should scare her, and yet, it did. 

She’d regretted it almost as soon as she said it. For months, she tried to build up the courage to tell her the truth, but by the time she did, a charming aristocrat had taken her place. T he empress had found someone else, and any chances Alexi might have had for a life with Kaldwin were as dead as Mortimer. Sure, she could probably convince her friend to sleep with her of she truly wanted as frankly Emily was a rather promiscuous woman, but that's not what mattered. The Captain could have any woman’s body she wanted (as well as any man’s for that matter, but she simply wasn’t nearly as interested), but she wanted Kaldwin's heart, and that was Wyman’s.

She groaned, putting her head in her hand. “Get over it,” She ordered herself, grabbing a glass and pouring herself some of the empress’ rum. Hardly an appropriate drink for a woman of her position to prefer, but a lot about Emily could accurately be called inappropriate. After some time, the empress’ worried, slurred mumbles turned into an annoyed groan, the woman clutching her head as she tried to sit up. 

“Ugh… what happened…?” She grumbled, clutching her head.

“Emily! You’re awake,” Alexi sighed in relief, the empress glancing up at her and attempting a smile, though she winced at the dull pain of her headache.

“Hey, Lex. Why are we-” She began before her eyes widened and she gasped, memories flooding back to her. “The throne room! There’s a coup underway, and my father’s been… imprisoned, for lack of a better word. I have to save him-”

“You have to get out of Dunwall,” She interrupted, handing her what was left of Sokolov’s elixir to ease the pain of her concussion and her father’s sword. “If there’s a coup, staying here is a death sentence. You can’t help Lord Corvo if you’re dead.”

Kaldwin’s face made it clear she wanted to argue, but they both knew the captain was right. Sighing, she relented. “Fine. But, if I’m leaving, you’re coming with me. Where are we going?”

“There’s a captain, Meagan Foster. She’s your best bet at making it out of the city. I’m sure at least some of the Watch is still loyal to us. I can’t leave Dunwall, at least not yet.”

“Alexi, no, either you leave with me or I stay with you-”

“When it comes to matters of her safety during an emergency, the Royal Protector’s authority supersedes the empress’. If Lord Attano has been captured, I’m next in the chain of command. Therefore, Lady Emily, I order you to leave the city,” She commanded, Kaldwin looking frustrated for a moment before a small, somewhat bittersweet smile came to her lips.

“Technically, I’m not the empress anymore, so I don't have to listen to your orders.”

A frustrated groan escaped the acting-royal-protector’s lips. “If you stay here, you’ll die! I won’t! If there’s anyone still loyal to you, I need to find them. Please, Emily. Corvo would want you to escape,” She pleaded, placing Kaldwin's hands in hers. The dishonored aristocrat was visibly upset, but after a few moments, she let out a sigh of defeat.

“Alright, Lex. I’ll leave,” She managed to get out, standing up and hesitating for a moment before pulling her former crush into a hug. “Alexi, I… just, please stay safe.”

The captain was a bit surprised, not expecting the embrace but returning it regardless. “I will. I’ll create a distraction so that you can slip past them. Goodbye, mo bhanríon,” She whispered to her, gently ending their embrace and unlocking the back exit before returning the signet ring to Emily.

***

It was difficult for Emily not to stare at Mayhew on the way to the stronghold of the resistance. She’d seen her die right before her eyes, held her as she went limp, and yet the woman was right as rain. At the moment, she was explaining what had happened in Kaldwin's absence, the woman in question trying her best to focus despite her almost unobtainable joy at her friend's resurrection. Of course, it’s not like her surroundings were particularly eye-catching. They had to take the sewer entrance to avoid drawing attention to themselves, and as intelligent as it was, the empress couldn't help but think having to fight witches yet again still would have been more pleasant. Sokolov had said as much aloud, the elderly inventor agreeing to help the group however he could until Delilah was dealt with.

“After Delilah took over, the Abbey and whatever loyal members were left of the Watch and Royal Guard banded together to reclaim the city. They have their music boxes playing over the local intercom to keep her witches out,” Alexi explained, making Kaldwin groan internally.

_ “If what Corvo said about the Abbey’s ‘music' is true, every moment inside will be agonizing. If too many Abbeymen notice, witches and gravehounds will be the least of my concerns,”  _ She mused, though she gave a nod of acknowledgement. “Good. I can say from experience that they’re a pain in the ass to fight.”

One of their escorts gasped slightly, a younger-looking man that clearly did not expect the empress to use such language. Alexi managed to hide her smirk at the real Emily showing herself from under her regal facade, approaching what looked to be a grey slab in the wall. She pounded three times, a small slit soon appearing in it to reveal a pair of light brown eyes.

“Serkonan wine is better than Tyvian prisons.”

“That’s like saying getting shot in the foot is better than having your tongue cut out, isn’t it?” A woman’s voice replied, followed by the shuttering of the visor closing and locks shifting before the door popped open. A woman stood in the doorway, a smile on her face. Her brunette hair was short, amateurishly cut but not dreadfully so. She wore a worn leather jacket over grey shirt and brown pants, the picture of a female commoner, yet something about her seemed eerily familiar.

“... Wyman?” Kaldwin hesitantly asked, drawing the woman’s attention.

“Emily?! Emily!” The short-haired woman called out happily, rushing up to her and pushing her into a deep kiss, careless to all the witnesses. Emily was far too stunned and overjoyed to care, returning the affection. When the two remembered they weren't alone, Wyman broke it off, panic clear on her face. “I-I… oh, par l'outsider-!”

“Permission to speak freely, your majesty?” The last of their escort finally spoke up, a blond man that Emily vaguely recalls talking to once. 

“... Granted,” She replied, mildly dreading what the reaction would be.

“The relationship between you and Princess Durand… well, frankly, it wasn't exactly a secret in the first place. Most people in the city, and dare I say the Empire as a whole, already assumed it. I…” He leaned in close, a hint of a blush on his face. “There are rumors of you having... relations, let’s say, with many guards and servants, including the maids. Just about everyone is aware of your exceeding fondness for both men and women,” He whispered, making the empress’ face pale. If what he was saying was true,  _ everyone  _ already knew what she’d tried so hard to keep secret. It was absolutely mortifying to think her promiscuity and private love life were practically matters of public record, but then… if even a City Watch member knew, then surely the High Overseer was aware. The Abbey knew, the public knew… and they didn’t care. They were still fighting for her, still  _ believed _ in her even despite what she’d feared would ruin her if it were ever known. Mortification turned into realization, relief, and finally into confidence. 

“I understand. Thank you for your honesty,” She thanked earnestly, giving a nod. “I would like to speak to Princess-no, to Wyman, alone if you’d please,” The empress requested, Alexi giving a nod and leading the others inside. Once the door was closed, Wyman immediately took a hold of her other half, embracing her tightly while Emily did the same.

“I'm  _ so  _ happy to see you, ma chérie! I came to Dunwall as soon as I could.”

The empress took a gentle hold of her head. “I-Wyman, I couldn't be happier you’re alright! But I told you NOT to come here! It's far too dangerous. I’m only alive because… there’s so much you should know,” Kaldwin admitted, the princess’ face filling with concern. She freed her left hand, holding it up before the woman as she called upon the Void, blue flames lighting up the Mark from underneath her covering. Wyman's concern turned to shock, unnatural smoke emanating from a royal hand.

“You-you’re marked,” She managed to get out, more of an observation than a question.

“I know how wrong it might seem, but I needed it if I had any hope of making it through this alive. I’m still the Emily you knew, I promise-” The aristocrat tried to explain, but was stopped dead in her tracks as Wyman held up a hand, lifting her glove off and revealing the same inky symbol. The empress stared at it in absolute shock for some time, unable to comprehend it.

“I’ve had it for years, right before I met you. Do you remember when we first met?”

Emily nodded, coming to her senses. “Of course. Pirates had taken you hostage, and your father asked for the the throne’s help. By the time our ships arrived, the crew had turned against each other and died, and you came to thank me for sending the fleet afterwards. That was when I decided to make you Morley’s ambassador to Gristol,” The empress recounted, the memory of first laying eyes on the then-shy and reserved princess nervously thanking her one of her strongest memories not involving betrayal. Six years had passed since then, beginning as monarch and ambassador, followed by friends (later with benefits), and then lovers by the third, all the while seeing Wyman grow from a timid princess to the wonderfully energetic, teasing and outspoken diplomat she knew today.

Durand nodded, smiling slightly at the same memories before becoming serious once more. “You know that while I was with them, they gave me a choice: ‘entertain' them, or get a finger cut off for each day the ransom wasn’t paid,” She said, eyes darkening. “What I didn’t tell anyone was that after two weeks of this,  _ he  _ came to me. The Outsider appeared in my dreams and offered me power beyond compare, beyond refusal. When I woke up, I begged the one guarding my cell to let me out… and he actually did. I asked him to give me his gun, and that’s when I discovered I had the power to control other people just by giving them orders. I… I...” The princess trailed off, voice shaking mildly and shame on her face.

“You had them slaughter each other,” Emily finished, making Wyman hang her head.

“It had felt so  _ good _ . I was laughing while people that had been friends for years drove swords through each other just because I told them to. But, when the last of them died and my revenge was fulfilled, it finally struck me how evil it all was. When the rescue arrived, I promised myself I’d never let myself do anything like that again. Please, don’t think me a monster,” She choked out, Emily pulling her in close and trying to soothe her. The shuddering woman returned the embrace, whispering, “I was weak, but I’m not like Delilah.”

“I know you aren't. I know you aren't the kind of person who enjoys people suffering,” Kaldwin comforted, an idea coming to her. “You once asked me, ‘do you really think I’d love you if I thought you a monster?’. That goes both ways, Wy. I’ll always love you.”

Though she stayed quiet for some time, Wyman’s relief was clear as she calmed down in the empress’ arms. Finally, she spoke up, releasing the hug and smiling at her love. “Merci, Emily. We should probably meet up with the others, or Lex will start thinking we’re doing a lot more than talking out here,” She teased, making Emily smile despite rolling her eyes.

***

In the following hours, Emily was briefed in detail about the events that had transpired in her absence. Resistance safehouses, troop numbers, and other things of the sort were explained to the intently listening empress. Or, at least, as intently as she could with the magical equivalent to nails scraping against chalkboard playing on the loudspeakers at all times. Her mark was thankfully not visibly burning, even if it felt like it. The wrapping was easy enough to pass of as a healing injury while her decades of experience hiding emotions helped cover up her discomfort. Still, there was no denying the suspicious glances and hushed whispers that seemed to follow in her wake whenever she shared a room with the Abbeymen, clearly cautious at best and downright distrustful at worst. They’d catch on sooner or later if they didn’t already know. At least they weren't actively trying to kill her. 

Khulan was out, held up in another base until they could ensure safe passage to the square.  _ “At least that confirms he’s alive,”  _ Emily thought as she was escorted to her chambers. The Abbey had turned Cambell’s formerly-secret vault into a safe room for the empress at Yul’s request, though the idea of sleeping in the same room that dickhead used to indulge his fantasies always left her feeling sick. Regardless, this  _ was  _ the kind of situation it was designed for and she’d have Wyman with her, so she could deal with it. The woman in question walked beside her, not even bothering to hide the fact that she was holding Kaldwin's hand. Finally, they reached it, the masked guards each giving a polite bow before returning to their post and leaving the two alone. The interior was similar to her safe room in the Tower, at least in terms of aesthetics.  Wooden floors covered by navy blue rugs and her flag draped on each wall while a pale light illuminated the room, though the sunlight of her room was replaced with whale oil lanterns here. It had all the basic functions plus a decently large selection of books (all Abbey approved, of course) while a two person bed sat in the back left corner with food supplies close by and a vibrant red velvet couch near the bookcase. The obnoxious music was thankfully quieter in here, a faint annoyance rather than a constant attack. No longer under any scrutiny, Wyman waltzed over to the couch and promptly crashed on it with a sigh.

“Your friends have shitty taste in music,” She quipped, getting a chuckle from Emily as she took off her coat and sat next to her more elegantly.

“No argument there. Wy… there’s something else you need to know about,” She said, drawing the woman's attention. Taking a breath. She continued. “You once told me you weren't against the idea of someone else joining what we have. Is that still the case?”

The princess slowly and hesitantly nodded. “Depending on the person… why?”

“While I was in Karnaca, I… met someone. A woman named Alexandria Hypatia. She’s an alchemist, and I managed to save her life from the Duke and Delilah. She helped me find Sokolov in return, but…” She sighed, shaking her head. “Over time, our relationship became more than professional and more than just sex. I love her, Wyman, as much as I do you but I’ll only continue it if you say yes.” She admitted, and to her surprise, a smile came to the other woman’s face.

“I’ve heard of her before. Pretty woman for her age, and a good person by all accounts. Sure,” She replied, absolutely stunning Emily.

“... Just like that? You aren’t upset?”

The younger monarch put her hand on Emily’s, looking into her eyes as she spoke. “If I had to find it out for myself, it would be different, but you told me right away. You trust me enough to tell, so I trust you enough to go along with this. I do want to meet her, though,” She admitted, leaving the empress gobsmacked. She’d expected her to be deeply upset at best and end their relationship at worst, so to have her discuss agreeing to polyamory as casually as the whether left her caught off guard, if positively. Once the initial surprise wore off, she let out a relieved sigh, finally allowing herself to truly relax. “So, being a wanted criminal aside, how was Karnaca?”

Just when she was getting comfortable, too. With a sigh, she began telling the story. Emily's version of events was close to the full story, the only detail of note not included being the Crown Killer’s identity. It wasn’t her secret to share, after all. Wyman listened intently, though she was too curious not to interrupt when the empress said she altered time itself with a completely straight face.

“So… you’re saying that Lex died during the coup? And that we never met Stilton?” She questioned, Kaldwin nodding in confirmation. “Emily, we were just talking to her an hour ago-”

“I know she’s alive  _ now _ , but that’s because I altered the timeline so that I’d meet Stilton and that somehow prevented her from dying. It’s even more confusing for me, I promise.”

“... I’ll take your word for it,” She conceded, letting Emily continue. Aside from the occasional comment, she remained silent through the rest of the story. At least, she was until the other woman talked about her realization about bone charms.

“Ha, I had to figure that one out for myself. How many were you carrying exactly?” She asked, clearly amused and instantly making her partner bemused.

“It doesn't matter,” She mumbled with a hint of embarrassment in her tone, only serving to make Wyman more curious.

“I’m sure it couldn't have been that bad,” She replied. “I promise not to judge.”

“... Forty charms at once.”

For a moment, she was silent. Try as she might, however, the Morlish princess couldn't stop from snickering, and then bursting into full-on laughter at Emily’s comically upset face. She was positively howling as the full extent of the statement hit her. “F-forty?! Ahahahahaha! It’s a surprise you didn't fuck half the city with all that stimulation!”

Emily’s blush only grew darker as Wyman cackled hysterically, small tears forming from laughing so hard. “Is it really that funny?” She grumbled.

The younger woman finally managed to calm herself, though a grin still plastered her face. “The fact that you were randier than an aristocratic rabbit all that time is incredibly funny, yes,” She replied with a chuckle. The empress looked away in embarrassment, making Wyman laugh again and move closer, putting her head on Kaldwin's shoulder. “Aw, don’t pout, love!” She wrapped one arm around her in a half hug, the other drifting down until it found her crotch. “I know it must be even harder to ignore for a filthy little trollop such as you,” She whispered, planting a kiss in the crook of Emily's neck. She gasped, but made no move to stop the woman as she began rubbing at her groin through her pants and planting tiny kisses and pecks all over. "Should I stop?" She asked. Kaldwin shook her head, in turn making Wyman's other hand grab a royal tit and squeeze, drawing a delighted noise out of its owner as she felt the nipple harden underneath. “No bra? I see you finally took me advice.”

Her left hand continued kneading her love’s breast, massaging the flesh through the shirt. The mounds were quickly warming up, softening under her familiar touch. She licked the dishonored aristocrat from collarbone to ear, making her shudder in approval. Heat and moisture were beginning to build up between her majesty’s legs as Wyman’s merciless teasing and groping continued. She shifted her hand to squeeze her supple rear while the other reached across to play with the other breast. A look of satisfaction came to Durand’s face as she once again reduced the proud Empress of the Isles to a horny mess, Emily's face tomato red while she gasped and cooed under the princess’ hands. She fondled Kaldwin's tits with a pleased hum and a smile while her willing victim shuddered slightly from the sensations.

With the empress sufficiently hot and bothered, she went to move up to the next stage. As the princess put her hand to the hem of Em’s pants however, she stopped. “Tell me what you want,” She commanded, an absolutely evil grin on her face.

“Fuck me,” She responded breathily, blush darkening. “Fuck me like the easy cunt I am.”

“No.”

_ “Oh, you evil bitch,”  _ She cursed in her mind, but instead ended up with a grunt lustful confusion on the outside. “W-what?” She finally managed.

“No, I won’t fuck you. You’re going to eat me out, and then  _ maybe  _ I’ll be nice and let you cum. That or you could go out there, drop your pants and beg for cock in front of everyone,” She taunted, drawing an absolutely pitiful sound from Kaldwin, her pussy stoked by the teasing. “Strip,” She commanded.

Standing up, she unbuckled her pants and cast them aside with her shirt soon joining it, leaving completely nude aside from her panties. Her chest was bright red from the groping while a dark stain was visible through the fabric of her underwear, her arousal intensified by the feeling of Wyman's eyes studying her. The princess shifted to take her own pants off as well, revealing her white silk panties before they came off as well, leaving her glistening pussy out for all to see. Her bush had grown a bit since the last time they’d seen each other, but it was still relatively contained. Her eyes narrowed as she tapped her finger along her exposed slit, beckoning her obedient empress. She complied of course, dropping to her knees and leaning in between Wy’s legs and getting to work. She started slowly, a single lick from her bottom of her sex to her clit as her hands massaged her thighs.

Elegant fingers pressed into smooth skin while she lapped at her inner thighs, making the princess squirm slightly. She felt a hand gently grip her head, fingers running through her hair. Glancing up at her, the smug, teasing look had disappeared, genuine love and fondness left in its wake. She looked her right in the eye as she swirled her tongue on her slick folds, loving the sound of her gasping. Emily continued teasing her folds, putting just the tip of her finger inside while her tongue dragged along her thighs. Through her quiet grunts and gasps, Durand slid a hand up her shirt, cupping a breast to play with while her girlfriend worked her magic. She squeezed the bottom of the tit, feeling its weight in her hand and the jolt of pleasure coursing through her chest. “I almost forgot how good you were at this,” She said, Kaldwin's tongue pushing into her lower lips. The empress replied by suckling her folds, drawing a moan out of her. Arousal was beginning to seep past her panties, tiny droplets of precum unable to be held back by the thin silk thong. She did her best to ignore her aching cunt, instead focusing on giving her love the best head of her life.

Emily picked up the pace, switching to short, wild laps. Her tongue darted around Wyman's royal cooch as it pleased, teasing her clit by dragging a mere centimeter away from it before stopping entirely to feel her writhe around her finger as it dutifully rubbed and prodded the soft pink flesh.

Her girlfriend's grip tightened as she pushed her hips up to meet the empress’ lips, not that she minded as she started to finger the girl with both hands. Two fingers from each hand began pleasuring her, encouraging cries and mumbles filling the room. The digits pumped in and out while her tongue explored the aristocrat’s soaked pussy and the woman continued feeling up her own chest.

“Oh, Emily! I-I’m cumming~!” She practically screamed in pleasure, biting her lip as she grabbed a handful of her right breast and pinching her nipple in between her fingers. With one final cry, she forced Empress Emily Kaldwin, first of her name, face first into her orgasming cunt. The former fugitive took it in stride, burying her tongue in her partner’s folds while her reward rushed out, the addicting taste of the love of her life filling her mouth and painting her face. Even as she greedily lapped down her reward, she never stopped finger-fucking her, turning the teasing and confident Sophie Wyman Durand into a shuttering, moaning bitch in her hands. The princess’ hand was still absent mindedly fondling her boob while she stared off absently, a look of ecstasy filling her face. Emily rose to her feet, wiping her mouth and beginning to gently straddle the fuck-drunk woman. 

She pulled her into a kiss, slow and loving, Wyman attempting to fight through the fog of orgasm enough to properly reciprocate it. As it was, the most she could do was let out a muffled, happy moan and rest her hands on her love’s hips. Within the next couple minutes, she fully recovered, a small smile coming to her lips as she lost herself in Emily’s eyes.

“I love you,” She whispered, hugging her.

“I love you, too.”

For a short eternity, they stayed like that, a couple reunited through disaster. As the moment passed, Wyman let one hand drift south and reach under the royal thong, promising Emily a wonderfully long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said *almost* everything played out the same? Well... Alexi coming back wasn't originally part of that plan. I only got the idea of having her resurrected through the butterfly effect when I started writing the Grand Palace, but I have a general outline planned for her. The idea of Alexi leading a revolt in Dunwall isn't completely my own, there was an Emily/Alexi fic with that premise that I sadly can't remember the name of. If anyone knows what story I'm talking about, please tell me the name and I'll give it credit here.
> 
> The phrase "mo bhanríon" is Irish Gaelic for "my queen", the closest I could get Google Translate to empress.
> 
> Next up is Death to the Empress, and then I'm basically out of canon adventures for Emily unless I decide to do something with The Peeress and The Price. Fortunately, I have a number of original ideas planned, including fleshing out Emily and Wyman's history together. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! If so (or if not), please leave a comment, it's very helpful to knowing what does and doesn't work.


	19. Regicide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily and Wyman confront Delilah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I had A number of issues with the quality of the chapter that resulted in a couple delays, but it's finally up to my standards! I intend to write and release another chapter shortly to make up for a lack of updates last month. Hope you enjoy!

Emily’s eyes fluttered open, her dark hair loose and obscuring her vision of the dimly lit room. The finely crafted cotton sheets and soft bed felt strange against her bare skin, almost too comfortable compared to her thin blanket and firm cot aboard the Dreadful Wale. She lightly scoffed at the thought, rolling her eyes. _“Yes, Emily, your most pressing issue right now is absolutely the bed being too cozy.”_

She blew the hair out of her face, allowing her to see Wyman sitting on the velvet sofa and quietly reading. The marked princess was wearing a lavish purple bathrobe and her small pair of reading glasses, the thin lenses balancing at the tip of her nose while her coffee-brown hair looked to be somewhat damp from her apparent bath. Wyman glanced in her direction and noticed the waking empress.

“Morning, ma chérie,” She said warmly, smiling at her love as Emily dragged herself out of bed. “There’s still some hot water.”

The empress mumbled a greeting as she walked to the tub and turned on the faucet, letting the warmth wash over her as she lowered into it. The heat of it was downright heavenly compared to the chill seawater she’d had to use in recent weeks, but a part of her felt rather guilty being able to enjoy a warm bath while thousands were living in absolute terror of her aunt. _“You can enjoy this when Delilah’s dead. No time to dally.”_ She decided, getting straight to the point of it and grabbing the nearby soap.

It wasn’t too long before the two of them were sorting through their haphazardly tossed clothing, handing each other shirts and belts and so on until they looked presentable. Emily readjusted her cufflinks, tightening the cuff of her jacket with the golden pins to restore its tight and aerodynamic fit. Just as she was about to open the door, Wyman put a hand on her shoulder. “Wait,” She instructed, pulling out a pair of dark purple leather gloves from her case. “I carry spares in case mine ever break. Gloves are less conspicuous than just one hand being covered, no?”

Emily took the offered gloves, pulling them on and giving her love a smile. “A perfect fit. Thank you,” She said cheerfully, gripping the handle and opening the door. The guards stood to attention. “Bring us to Captain Mayhew.”

“Yes, your majesty,” One responded through the muffle of the bronze mask. The four began a quiet march to the makeshift war room in the archives through the hallowed halls. In truth, Emily had never liked the Office of the High Overseer, the entire building always seeming to be weighing down on her with its uncaring stone walls and too-open rooms. Of course, now being the sort of heretic that the Abbey happily slaughtered on a regular basis certainly didn’t help matters. She banished the thoughts with a slight shake of her head, instead opting to focus on silently studying their escorts and the other people going about the building.

At least half of them hid behind blackened bronze masks, elaborately patterned swords at their sides. A part of her realized how similar the design was to the one the Outsider replicated in the Void, filing it away for later while she shifted her gaze from person to person. Most were milling about, speaking with comrades or standing guard while others rushed to and fro with papers and packages in hand, presumably intelligence reports or the like. Few seemed to notice her and those that did thankfully had the courtesy to not draw attention to her. The four of them were soon in the archives, Alexi intently studying a map of Dunwall Tower and glancing up as Emily approached.

“Good morning, Lex,” Emily greeted, taking a seat to the woman’s left. She managed to catch the captain’s lips quirking upwards at the affectionate nickname she hadn’t heard in over a month. Clearly she’d missed Emily as much as the empress had her.

“Good morning Lady Emily, Lady Durand,” She greeted politely, opting for professionalism due to the others around. Mayhew took out a pointer, resting the tip at the main gate of her home. “I have a plan for retaking the tower. While Delilah has the entryway well defended, I doubt she knows about the passageway from the Watch armory outside of the palace grounds,” She explained, moving the pointer to a blank section to the left of the gate. “Meaning that we could have a platoon of officers and Overseers with music boxes get close to the building without Delilah knowing. We stage a surprise assault from there, rush the tower, and reclaim the tower and the throne for you,” Alexi finished. Emily shook her head, confusing Mayhew.

“No. Even if you can get past the witches, the Clockworks will tear them apart. I’ll go alone. Less chance of being noticed and I have experience fighting everything I’ll find there,” She countered, drawing disapproving looks from both women. “You know why I have to be the one, Wy!”

“You have to stop her, yes. That doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.” She retorted, drawing Mayhew’s startled look for a moment.

“Lady Emily, we have dozens if not hundreds of troops to take the tower. There is absolutely no reason to put you in danger!” Alexi practically begged, seeing the same glint in Emily’s eye as whenever she decided she was right and nothing could change that. She shifted her gaze to the empress’ girlfriend before demanding, “Why are you okay with this?”

“Everyone not at this table, leave,” Emily ordered, the bronze-faced men hesitating for only a moment before withering under her glare. Once the door was closed, she looked back to Alexi. “If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone. Take it to the grave.”

Alexi raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Emily pulled out the Heart with her right hand, extending her marked hand to Alexi. The woman took it and the empress’ previously empty hand was suddenly holding a grotesque, blackened heart. Her eyes widened as she managed to tear her gaze away from it to her best friend. “I-what? Why are you holding a heart? Why couldn’t I see it?”

“This is Delilah’s heart,” Emily lied, finding it easier to pretend it was Copperspoon’s rather than her own mother’s. “She tore out a piece of her soul, and it’s kept in this. It’s magically bound to me. As long as it is separate from her, she can’t die, and I’m the only one who can return it.”

Alexi looked back at the macabre object, staring at it for a moment before releasing Emily’s hand and watching it vanish as if it never existed. She looked at Emily’s hands and then to Wyman’s before it clicked into place. “You two are… I understand. Alright, Emily. How will we know when you’re finished?” She asked, Emily thinking for a moment before replying.

“If the speakers are still working, I’ll say something on them.”

“WE will say something on them,” Wyman corrected, her expectant gaze burning into Emily. “I’m coming with you, like it or not. You know I can handle myself.”

Emily glared at her, wanting to say no but unable to logically argue against bringing her along. Two marked against one was a major advantage, after all. She sighed, casting her eyes to the side. “Fine, but follow my lead. Understand?”

Wyman smiled and stood up as Emily rose from her seat. “As you wish, my empress.”

“Emily?” Mayhew said quietly, walking towards the woman in question.

“Yes?”

“... Stay safe. Please.”

Kaldwin put a hand on her shoulder, looking at her former love. “I will. Goodbye, Alexi,” She whispered before the woman returned to her map, the empress and the princess leaving the room.

***

“So, do you actually have a plan for this?” Wyman questioned as they stepped out into the docks from the base’s secret entrance. Though Emily remained silent behind the morbid glare of Corvo’s mask, her short shrug said plenty. “Oh. That’s reassuring.”

“I’ve always been good at improvising. Something will come to mind,” She replied while pulling herself up the rocky cliffs to the street and helping the princess climb. The once bustling street was caked in dust and rubble, the magnificent tram rails collapsed into riven road while the tram itself dangled from what was left of the structure. Nothing but the sound of blowing wind and a young woman leisurely singing what almost sounded like a lullaby filled the air of the ghost town.

_‘On a pike they placed his head,_

_Cursed his name,_

_Burned his stead,’_

“Cheery,” Emily muttered, Far Reaching up to the dilapidated transport. The metal groaned warningly but held. Wyman was still at the base of it, drawing her attention.

“I don’t have any movement powers. Could you-” A purple hand gripped around her waist before she finished, yanking her up into the air before Emily caught her, the woman violently retching as she regained her footing. “Eugh… I was going to ask if you could help me up like a normal person. That was horrible! How does that not make you sick every time?” Wyman grumpily managed, Kaldwin unable to keep from laughing a little.

“It’s really not that bad for me,” Kaldwin said amusedly. Her girlfriend glared at her halfheartedly before shaking her head and walking up the collapsed structure to find somewhat of a path to Dunwall Tower. What was left of the boxtram left a nice bridge over the ruins of the city, hounds and corpses lining the roads beneath them. There would be yet another gap that Wyman would have to be Reached from, but it was the best option. “There’s someone I need to see. It’ll just be a moment,” The empress announced as she reached over to the Dunwall Courier’s balcony. The familiar click-click-clicking of a typewriter reached her ears soon after while she walked into the building proper, the room somewhat of a mess but still obviously inhabited. She walked towards the noise, softly rapping her knuckle against the doorway to draw his attention while taking off her mask. He turned to her with a fright, settling down as he recognized the woman who had saved his life.

“Your majesty! You’re alive! Thank goodness. It’s been almost two months, hasn’t it?” He called out enthusiastically.

“Indeed it has. I’ve been down in Karnaca, trying to figure out how all this happened with the Duke and Delilah. I know how to best Delilah now, and I’ll be retaking my throne and saving my father.”

He slumped in relief. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long while. For what it’s worth, I’ve been publishing whatever I could find out about this. The public knows you’re innocent,” The journalist proclaimed, handing her a paper with the headline, _“Empress and Royal Protector Exonerated! Victims of Clever Conspirators!”_

Kaldwin quickly read through the article, bowing her head in thanks. “Thank you. I’m not sure there’d be a resistance without you. If I come out on top, I’ll invite you to Dunwall Tower for an interview,” She promised before putting her mask on once more and returning to the patiently waiting Wyman.

“Didn’t think you were one for gossip rags,” The princess mused, getting a roll of the eyes from Emily.

“The press will be useful for restoring order. Even if the Dunwall Courier runs its mouth too much, it’s vital,” Kaldwin replied as they got back in their way. Just as they were approaching the gap, however, a woman appeared in a swirl of black smoke. Emily had her sword drawn in an instant while Wyman pulled her pistol, but to their surprise, the witch had her hands in the air.

“Easy there, lovelies. I’m not going to kill you. You wouldn’t stand a chance anyways” The witch said, her voice distorted by magic. “I'm supposed to alert Delilah to any intruders, but perhaps I’ll have missed a couple if I was distracted by, say, a thousand coin?” She offered, looking at the coin pouch on Emily’s belt. She formed Drexel in response, the double drawing her sword and making it three against one. The magical woman looked like she was about to flee before a commanding voice filled the air.

“Better plan: You are going to forget you ever saw us. In fact, you are going to knock yourself out,” Wyman ordered, her mark glowing brightly beneath the glove. The witch’s eyes glazed, slightly glowing as she nodded, teleported to a nearby wall, and slammed her head against it, knocking her out cold. Emily watched in fascination before turning back to her companion.

“I suppose that makes up for the lack of teleporting,” Drexel noted, catching the imperial girlfriend’s notice.

“... Hello?”

The double turned to her. “Sophie Wyman Durand. Emily is exceedingly fond of you. I am Drexel,” It introduced itself, creating an odd feeling for Wyman to hear such a familiar voice be so cold and detached.

“Remember when I said I could copy myself? This is what it’s like.”

“Drexel… alright then. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I think we’ll become well acquainted soon,” Sophie teased, affectionately cupping the clone’s chin as she drew herself close to it.

“Please stop hitting on my doppelganger in front of me,” Emily asked with a roll of her eyes.

Drexel didn’t seem to particularly care either way, turning to face Emily even while Wyman practically draped herself over her. “Copperspoon will stop at nothing to see you dead, correct? I can return from death. I can be a decoy whilst you attack her from behind, if you wish.”

Emily considered it, nodding. “If you’re sure you’ll survive, it’s a great plan. I’ll summon you when it’s time,” She promised, her magical lookalike nodding before vanishing and dropping a rather surprised Wyman to the floor.

“Ow! You could have given me some warning,” She pouted, drawing a smirk from Emily.

“I could have, but you wouldn’t have learned your lesson then,” She teased, extending a hand to help her lover up.

They reached the City Watch checkpoint soon after, the bodies of guards hanging near the door. Emily cut them down with a sigh. “Delilah has so much to answer for.”

“Then let’s not keep her waiting,” Wyman replied, unlocking the door. They looted what they could before stepping into Coleridge Canal. It was more of a marsh, with barely solid mud splashing under their boots as they made their way to the water. A quick jaunt across the water and they were inside the Tower grounds, climbing into the outer edges of the courtyard. Just as Emily was about to vault over into it, however, she noticed the familiar green glow of a gravehound skull. Several, in fact, spread all around the courtyard.

“Shit. I’ll need to stop time,” Kaldwin said. Wyman shook her head, smiling.

“Take my hand,” She instructed, Emily doing so despite a raised eyebrow. Both marks began to glow slightly before Emily suddenly found herself and her partner somewhat transparent. “Invisibility spell. We’re the only ones that can see or hear each other,” She explained, taking a step a mere foot away from the magical abomination while it stayed perfectly still and dormant. Emily nodded, sneaking along with her through the courtyard. Aside from a few close calls, the pair easily remained undetected as they walked right through the front door.

“That was incredible!” Emily whispered, getting a grin from Wyman as the spell dropped, leaving her a tad pale but otherwise fine.

“I know, right? Though stopping time sounds better, honestly. The only problem if that it’s rather taxing,” She replied as Emily held out a vile of Addermire Solution. “Allergic to bloodflies, unfortunately. I have to wait to use it again.”

Emily nodded, returning it to her coat. “My mother used to have a secret study that led to the safe room. We can get to Delilah without her even knowing we’re here,” Kaldwin revealed. She flicked on Dark Vision, noticing a lone skull hidden among candles on the staircase. A bolt from her crossbow quietly eliminated the would-be guard dog, allowing the two of them up the stairs only to be confronted with one of Delilah’s statues. The stone imposter turned its head, managing to give off the air of a sneer despite the lack of expression on its face.

“So here we are, where my dear, lying half-sister betrayed me. Where she was murdered by Daud and his blackhearted crew,” She paused, looking at the empress’ mistress. “Where you will watch your love die. The place that ruined all our lives…” It spat before returning to its natural state.

“You have a twisted view of the world. Fortunately, I’m here to fix that.” Emily taunted, glaring at the heretical art piece before turning away and pulling herself up to a main chandelier of the foyer and thus finding herself just feet away from her father’s chambers. Wyman took a breath before nodding to Emily and being pulled up, cursing under her breath from the sickening movement. They made their way to the second floor in one more reach.

Kaldwin stifled a snarl as she laid her eyes upon Corvo’s once well organized quarters. Glass cabinets were broken into, their contents littering the floor while his various paintings had been defaced with insults and cracks at her expense, most notably her mural above the fireplace having a sword shoved through her face and “Bastard Empress” scrawled into the plaque. She grit her teeth at the nerve of it all. She shook her head and bit her lip to keep from yelling, seeing multiple witches just beyond the main door. Wyman tapped her shoulder, pointing towards a side door before sneaking out through it into an absolutely savaged hallway. Euhorn Kaldwin’s grandfather clock laid against a boarded up window, the inner mechanics clearly destroyed beyond repair whilst dirty mattresses, scattered clothing, and smashed fine china littered the floor, the hall clearly converted into a debaucherous playroom by the coven. Despite her frustration and the demented redecorating, the merciful assassin recognized her mother’s secret study in the next hall, hidden behind a fireplace with a trapdoor activated by a nearby lamp. To her dismay, however, a pair of gravehounds and a witch were patrolling the hall.

“I’ll shoot the dogs, you knock out the witch,” Emily whispered, Wyman nodding as Kaldwin opened the door and quickly planted two bolts in the undead mutts’ heads. Just as the witch turned to investigate the noise, Wyman socked her in the throat and forced her down before kicking her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her before one more brutal kick to the face. Emily crushed the enchanted skulls under her boot as she walked down the hall and activated the switch, the stone slab rising to create a small passageway. The dishonored aristocrat slid under with ease, taking off her mask and slipping it into her coat. Emily decided Delilah would have to look at her niece’s face as she died to enhance the bitterness of her defeat.

The pair entered her safe room moments later and left Emily gasping at what had been done to it. Tree roots and thorn brumbles were everywhere, blocking off the tower exit and uprooting the wooden floorboards whilst her various safes had been looted and the walls were covered in witch’s script, leaving what looked to be Void rock growing out of the ground. “They turned my saferoom into a magical training range. I’m sure Delilah found that hysterical,” She rolled her eyes, forcing herself past the destruction and perversion of her unofficial chambers.

Wyman glanced into the bedroom they’d shared so many nights in and paused, looking absolutely stunned. “I… She put your doll in the toilet,” She mumbled.

“What?”

Sure enough, Mrs. Pilsen was shoved in the royal toilet, demented ramblings scrawled into the wall behind it. The empress could only stare at the childhood toy and wonder what the actual fuck Delilah was thinking when she did this. The only response she could muster was, “... Wow.”

Without even thinking about it, she took the doll and put it in her coat pocket before returning to the stairs and marching up, pausing at the shattered doorway. “Emily?” Wyman called out. She turned to answer but was interrupted by a kiss, a gentle, loving embrace that she had grown so accustomed to over the years. It only lasted for a moment, but still felt so much longer than that. “For luck,” She explained, but Emily could see the nervousness in her eyes.

“You can stay here until it’s over,” Emily offered, but her love shook her head.

“I’ve made it this far. No point in backing out now.”

She smiled at her, embracing her for a moment before stealing herself and marching through her ruined chambers. Each step towards the throne room thundered in her ears but she pushed on without pause. She reached the entrance and she dropped to a crouch, seeing Delilah smugly sitting on the throne through the wall.

With a breath, she closed her eyes and created summoned Drexel just outside the throne room. The doppel kicked down the wooden barricade and slowly advanced down the hall, Delilah grinning at the sight.

“At last! I’ve waited for this moment here in my tower for so long, dear niece! So now I will complete my greatest painting. I will make the world as it should be. Unfortunately,” She paused as she stood before flicking her wrist, black marble appearing at the base of Drexel’s feet before quickly climbing up her body as she writhed in horror. She leisurely waltzed up to the frozen form of the empress with an almost sad smile as she gently caressed the statue’s cheek. “There’s no place in it for you. If only you’d stayed by my side. We could have been family, but alas. Goodbye, sweet Emily.”

Emily quietly approached from behind before shoving her blade through Delilah’s spine and chest, making her gasp before chuckling in amusement and slamming her head back into Kaldwin’s, hurting like hell but not knocking her down. “Oh, foolish girl. Didn’t you notice this didn’t work the first ti-”

A loud screech filled the room as Emily squeezed the Heart with her left hand as hard as she could, sickly green magic shooting forth into her aunt and getting louder and more intense until it sent her flying in a pulse of mystic energy. Kaldwin felt herself soaring through the air until she felt a sudden sharp pain against the back of her head and it all went black.

***

Pain. Mind numbing, excruciating pain was the first thing she felt when the empress started to awaken, the second time in the past month she had such an experience to her dismay. Ringing filled her ears whilst her vision swam, greys and blues just an unsightly formless eyesore in one eye whilst the other felt swollen shut, no doubt a black eye. A headache raged like a storm in her mind, stealing away what focus she might have had left.

_“I’m concussed. Fantastic”_ She noted drearily, clenching her teeth to keep from screaming out. There was a hand on her cheek, nothing but a blurry mess in her sight. She could faintly hear a voice calling her name, making her try to focus on the sound among the aching in her ears.

“Em-... you-... -ease, say something!” Kaldwin finally managed, recognizing Wyman’s worried pleas and cries through her haze.

“I’m alive,” Emily muttered, wincing as she felt a split in her lower lip and tried to blink away the distortion to little avail. “Are you alright? Did I kill her?” There was a blurry mess of peach skin going up and down in Emily’s eye making her assume she was nodding. “Is Corvo free?”

“... I’m sorry. He’s still a statue,” Wyman confessed apologetically. “I’m sure he’ll- wait, what are you doing?”

The empress attempted to stand, only to be met with a burst of stabbing pain in her right leg making her hiss between her teeth. She felt the throne poking at her side, the most likely culprit of her concussion.

“Don’t move, love. It’s broken.”

“That hasn’t stopped me before,” She replied, attempting once more before the pain flooded back to her. “Fuck! Wy, please, bring me to him. I need to see Corvo.”

Her vision in her left eye was beginning to clear somewhat, making the pitying look on her girlfriend’s face painfully clear. The petrified form of her had collapsed, Drexel presumably having held it together before returning to the Void. “Emily, you can’t even stand. What if I hurt you?”

“That doesn’t matter right now. Please,” She pleaded, tears in her eyes as she spotted her father’s stoney form tucked away to the side. The other woman’s face flashed a multitude of emotions, clearly debating whether this was the right thing to do, before ultimately repenting and moving to gently pick her up. Gloved hands slowly wrapped around her back and stood her up on her functioning leg before walking her over to the grey mass that was once the Royal Protector, Kaldwin weakly forcing a hand up to his petrified face.

“Father… I’m sorry.” She whispered, closing her eyes. She took his hand in her left while she did her best to curl up next to the macabre decoration.

“... Emily?” A gruff voice questioned, making her fictional eye snap open to discover her mark burning brightly against his skin and the stone flaking off his body, revealing an alive and well if very confused Corvo Attano.

“Father! Oh, by the Outsider, you’re alive!” Emily shouted out in joy, throwing her right arm around him so quickly that Wyman almost dropped her. The old man returned his daughter’s embrace, though the confusion on his face only increased when he spotted the Morlish princess awkwardly trying to hold her girlfriend up.

“Wyman? Emily, what happened?” He asked the girl currently holding onto him like a life preserver in the middle of the ocean.

She was bruised and battered, her lip bloodied and eye blackened, bones broken and body aching, and by the void she never felt more alive than in that moment, embracing her freed father with all the strength she could still muster. A smile broke across her face as she held him tightly before answering, “I’ll explain everything soon, Father. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that concludes the Dishonored 2 portion of this story. Thankfully, I still have quite a number of ideas for where this story can go, so this is NOT the end! I thank everyone who has come and read this story, and especially those who have left kudos and more importantly comments to help me improve, and I hope to continue delivering quality content for you in the future. :)
> 
> At the start of the level just after getting off the skiff, there is a storm drain immediately to your left. That's where Emily begins here in case you want an explanation for how they could take the same path as in-game.


	20. Heretical Harlotry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven months after reclaiming her throne, Emily engages in a ritual to expand her mastery over magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shockingly, I am still alive, even if my lack of updates says otherwise. I'm truly sorry for a full two months of radio silence from me. I came across a massive bit of writer's block and just completely lost interest in writing Dishonored for a while, then by the time I was inspired again, I got stuck in some IRL business. Alas, here we are, and I hope to turn out more consistent updates from here on out.

Kaldwin closed her eyes as she knelt at the small shrine she had built in secret, waiting to feel the ever-present cold of the Void for the first time in seven months. Seven months since she’d retaken her throne, and seven months of Dunwall slowly pulling itself out of the wreckage. Despite the heavy losses of the coup, the city was finally beginning to resemble something like normal again. The rails were running again, the harbor and docks were repaired and viable for fishing, and even the destruction of the tower had mostly been undone. Emily herself had been rather busy organizing it all and trying to live up to her promise of being a ruler worthy of succeeding her mother, putting her nightly runs on hold at least until most of the reconstruction had finished. She’d sent Hypatia a letter as soon as couriers were available, letting her know she was alive, relatively unharmed, and that Wyman agreed to their relationship. The doctor’s ecstatic reply came two weeks later, and thus began their biweekly communications.

Seeing as how it was apparently never a secret anyway, Emily had recently dropped the charade and proposed to Wyman, the ambassador officially poised to become empress-consort. What was left of the parliament was throwing a fit, of course. Who would be the heir after they died, a foreigner with the title of empress (even if only ceremonially), and so on. Annoying and frustrating, but that was hardly new.

Emily’s shrine was in her recently restored safe room, finally able to use it after six full months of Abbeymen going in and “purging” the heresy before reconstruction could even begin. Still, the obnoxious vines and floating stone were gone so it was at least habitable. However, the empress could still sense witchcraft even after all their operations, making it the perfect place to hide a shrine. After all, the Abbey already knew there was magic there, so a little more wouldn’t be out of place. Kaldwin glanced around, waiting for a wall or something to disappear, but it didn’t happen. She rolled her eyes.

“I know where we are. You might as well show yourself,” Emily called out. She could swear she almost heard a small laugh mixed in with the heavy winds of this realm, but the Outsider didn’t appear. Raising an eyebrow, the empress moved to the door and opened it to find the throne room exactly like it was in Stilton’s manor, parts of the walls missing to reveal the blueish grey hues of the Void. The Outsider was lounging in her throne and smiled lightly upon seeing her.

“Evening, your majesty. You have been rather active as of late, haven’t you?” He greeted almost jovially. 

Emily nodded politely. “Outsider. I’ll just get to the point: before the Abbey destroyed them all, I managed to read some of Delilah's notes. ‘A witch, no matter how powerful or weak, can form a near-unrivalled connection with the Void should she lay with the Outsider’. Assuming that isn’t a metaphor for your mark,” She reached behind her and pulled a string, and thus her sleeping gown went lax and began to slip off her, fully revealing herself to him for the second time. “I’ll do whatever’s needed if it means I can protect my people the next time someone comes after me.”

The Outsider’s eyes seemed to narrow. “Her notes mentioned the risk of insanity, spending so long in the Void. You’re willing to trade your mind for power?” He said, more of an accusation than a question. Emily glared at him.

“You know it’s not like that. Even with all my powers, I’ve nearly died countless times and so have the ones I care about. Alexi would still be dead if I didn’t change the past! This isn’t getting power for power’s sake, it’s to make sure I can do what’s needed.”

The being didn’t look convinced,crossing his arms and looking down. “Understand that this could end poorly for you. I can see the possibilities.”

“I know the risks, but I know the rewards as well. I won’t be talked out of this,” Kaldwin firmly stated.

The Outsider made a hum of acknowledgement before continuing. “Very well, but if this is to happen, it happens on my terms. Your personality and thoughts will be mostly your own, but you will be compelled everything I order. Are you sure?”

“... Yes. For them, anything,” She consented, and with that, they began. Emily guided his cold hands to her breasts, feeling him grasp and fondle her ample assets. The feeling on the Void on her exposed form added fuel to the fire of her arousal as chilled fingers carefully traced along her flaming slit, drawing quiet pants from Kaldwin. The tip of his digits pressed against her lower lips, just barely sticking between her folds and teasing what laid beyond. One of his hands suddenly wrapped around her throat and lifted her, making her eyes widen in a burst of fear. She’d learned early on in her sexual exploits that she just wasn’t into straight-up choking, mostly due to the fact that she instinctively beat the shit out of anyone who tried it thanks to Corvo’s training. Her legs kicked out at him on reflex, phasing through his chest while her hands struggled against his to no avail.

“You sought my favor,” He his voice ominously rang from all around her, making her stiffen. The Outsider gently rubbed along her neck, almost comfortingly if not for the fact that he was depriving her of air. He finally let go, Emily's nude form falling to the ground like a rag doll. “Earn it.”   
She gasped, looking up to glare at the man in front of her. She wanted to yell at him, punch him, kick him in his smug face-

Her eyes reached his, and she wanted nothing more than to please him. Her mind was telling her to be upset, but the gentle burning of her mark kept insisting that there was nothing to be upset about. “Crawl,” He ordered, and the empress found herself unable to even want to refuse. She obediently did so, her curves accentuated by the movement as she demeaned herself for him. The cocky fucker was sitting in her throne, clearly enjoying just how condescending he was being to her going by the look on his face. Soon enough, Emily was resting her admirable rear on her heels and kneeling in front of the leviathan’s crotch. He gently cupped the face of the hypnotized heretic, putting a thumb to her lips. “This is the first step. Continue.”

Kaldwin obeyed, undoing his fly and fiddling with his undergarments until she found herself being lightly slapped on the lips by his prick. It was surprisingly unremarkable, almost completely average in every way except its owner. Still, a cock was a cock, and she could still work with six inches.

Emily gently and leisurely stroked him, feeling his thick dick between her skilled fingers. It was remarkably cold compared to most she’d serviced in the past but otherwise fairly standard. She couldn't help but giggle slightly the more she considered it, drawing a raised eyebrow from her partner. “People say you have a crooked cock. Rubbing your balls is also supposed to be lucky,” She elaborated as her spare hand fondled the Outsider’s sack. The leviathan was visibly bemused.

“You are far from the first person to note that,” He deadpanned, clearly sick of hearing the joke yet again. Kaldwin didn’t particularly care as she slipped her fingers off of his tool and took just the tip into her mouth, gently suckling it and slightly bobbing her head back and forth. The girthy meat felt a tad different than most she’d sucked, feeling about as cool as the rest of the Outsider’s flesh. It wasn’t a bad feeling per say, just strange. He fittingly smelled like seawater as well rather than the usual sort of musk she had grown familiar with over the years. Regardless of his quirks, Emily put her skilled mouth to work, flicking up from the base of the head to the top and swirling around it while her lips hugged his shaft. She gave a little hum when she felt his cold fingers slip into her hair, liking the way they slipped through her intricate bun and rested against her scalp so much that she let another few inches past her regal lips. 

Kaldwin narrowed her eyes in concentration as she bobbed her head along his length, feeling his bulge press against her cheek slightly and his ballsack cupped in her hand. The woman practically had fellatio down to a science with her experience. She would keep an eye on someone’s face if she was doing it for their satisfaction to gauge their reactions and see where they’re looking, changing her style accordingly. At the moment, the Outsider had his usual small smirk of amusement, but his blackened eyes were impossible to properly track. This wouldn’t do.

Emily slowly lifted off of him with a moist  _ pop _ . She cupped her both of her generous jugs and straightened up before smothering the Outsider’s prick with her rack. Warmth emanated from them like a fireplace, the soft mounds eagerly embracing his rigid prick as the empress wordlessly started jacking him off with the supple melons. Only his tip poked up past her bosoms while she pushed her assets on either side to surround him and she was all too happy to complete her cozy envelopment with her pristine lips. A small gasp sounded from above and the sultry sovereign grinned, glancing up at her ethereal consort and his ever so slightly widened eyes.

_ “I actually got him to gasp! Amazing,” _ The former fugitive awed. Her tongue danced around his stout penis, worshipping it like so many did its owner. Delicate, skilled fingers dug lightly into her regal rack as she keenly serviced him and his calloused digits softly pushed her head further down into his crotch. Taking the hint, she lowered herself to take as much of him in as possible while still cradling him between her boobs. Emily gazed at his infamous face as she began to pick up speed, watching the slight twitches and quirks he made in response to her talented tongue.

Thus was the scene: Empress Emily Kaldwin squeezing the dick of the Outsider himself between her magically-increased rack while she desperately bobbed her head up and down, blowing him as if the entire empire depended upon being as much of a harlot as possible with her bubble butt and dripping cunt proudly on display. The sheer heresy of the scene made her lick and lap at him with newfound vigor, feeling herself grow wetter and wetter the more she thought about what she was doing. Doing this, doing  _ him _ broke every single structure of the Abbey. If they were to find out, she would be exceedingly lucky to only be thrown out of the tower with nary the clothes on her back. The once legendary Emily would be left little more than a beggar or a whore with her position, her life, her legacy, all of it forsaken for a blowjob-

“Mmmmmmph~!” She cried out in surprise as he silently reached his orgasm, shooting thick ropes of cum first into her mouth and subsequently onto her lips and tits as he pulled out. Her boobs pressed against his john with enough pressure to milk him for all he was worth, feeling him shudder between her mounds as she kept pumping him up and down. His still-hard length felt lovely between her soft and supple titties, his ejaculate trickling from her lips and down her breasts much to her delight. Emily diligently sucked the head of his dick to lap up the last of his jizz, looking into his pitch black eyes as she did so. The Outsider looked on in mild interest.

“An empress laying with the Outsider. I wonder what your people would think?” He questioned in that tone of his that made it clear he already knew, making Emily roll her eyes and pull her lips off of his member.

“I can’t believe you’re still monologuing right after  _ that _ ,” She said in mock exasperation, even as a smirk came to her cum-covered lips and she took a handkerchief from a hidden pocket of her almost-forgotten nightgown and cleaned herself up. 

The smallest hint of amusement flashed in the Outsider’s face before he spoke again. “You haven't earned what you desire just yet. Give me a show, empress.”

She instantly snapped to attention, his orders temporarily overriding her personality as she slightly bent over, resting her ass on his lap. Emily held a hand on each of his thighs, grinding her rear cheeks against the front of his length. His magically hardened length stood out against her soft and shapely rear that partially embraced him, the licentious monarch taking her time as she pulled herself along him. She continued her lap dance for a few more minutes, feeling his length press into her soft buttcheeks. The lewd display served to increase her anticipation as Emily let the supposed source of all evil use her like a cheap whore. “That’s enough,” He ordered. The perverted peeress gave herself a nice slap on the ass for good measure, feeling it jiggle lightly against him before standing up. “You are doing well, dear Emily. This is your reward.”

The being vanished in a burst of black, appearing down on the ground in the corner of her eye. Emily turned to him and smiled as she dropped to her knees once more, resting her eager cooch along his length while she straddled him. Her lower lips rubbed against the prick and glazed it with her arousal as she positioned herself over him and looked him in his pitch black eyes, gently lowering herself and pushing him inside. The tip pressed in and drew a small gasp from her, the first of several as she made her way down. Her muff couldn't get enough of him, shocks of stimulation coursing throughout her. Kaldwin felt his hands gently grip her fit hips and feel up her sides vigorously.

Any stimulation was welcome in her mind while she plunged further onto his stiffness, nearly at the base. Her face was tinged red from her lustful excitement even as she proudly fucked him, her luscious body fully revealed for any and all who might witness it. The icy air of the realm on her skin was both similar and completely new compared to some of her previous forays, one particular instance of Wyman daring her to do one of her late night runs in the buff coming to mind and reddening her cheeks.  _ “It was more than worth it to see her get so annoyed while she put on that maid uniform. Her face was priceless!” _ She recalled, a smile tugging at her lips. Kaldwin lightly grinded against his crotch to push the last bit of his remarkable dick into her folds, soft panting coming from her while she began pulling herself back up him and her clit rubbed against his shaft. Now having prepared herself, Emily picked up the pace and started riding him proper. The stiff muscle penetrated her with ease while she bounced herself up and down his cock, powerful thighs and ample ass slamming down on the ancient being. Emily let out a moan as felt him unexpectedly thrust into her, splitting the buxom baroness’ inner walls like paper and spilling a touch of precum onto his shaft. Caught off guard, she nearly fell off of him, instinctively shooting her hands forward and inadvertently grabbing two handfuls of her partner’s pecks.

“Come now, Emily, you should have learned to expect that,” The Outsider lightly snarked, making Emily decide to get even.

Her combat training surprisingly helped her sex life, her familiarity with pressure points letting her know exactly what buttons she should push not only to temporarily paralyze someone in a fight but also make any man or woman scream out her name, and in turn where to have others touch to turn her into a quivering mess. Case and point, she trailed her hands along his toned chest before gently squeezing his nipples between her fingers. A surprised groan escaped the god’s lips while Emily felt him twitch towards him inside of her, making her smile. “Feel that, did you? Good,” She teased, resting her hands on his abs while she lightly bounced herself on his dick. Her clit pressed tightly against the base of his cock whenever she went fully down him, drawing pleased mews and coos from the empress. The deity’s brow was furrowed, looking mildly surprised for once while Emily's concern raised. “Outsider?”

He shook his head lightly. “I’m fine,” He said a tad too quickly. Emily stopped while she looked at him, studying for any sign of what was troubling him. “I didn't think I could still feel sensations like that. Nothing more,” He explained. She didn’t buy that was the whole truth, but there was nothing to go on that could prove he was lying.

“... Just tell me if I need to stop,” She instructed before continuing. The sensation returned and she was his once more, suiting her just fine. Kaldwin pulled herself up and down him in a largo pace, feeling her walls push and rub against the invader as she went. Her hands grew restless, sailing across his chest and feeling his surprisingly fit frame. She moved one of them to her ample bust, fondling herself with her marked hand. She cupped the supernaturally enhanced knocker and felt her rigid nipple pressing against her palm. The other continued exploring her partner’s torso with gusto. 

She gave a delighted gasp as he grabbed two handfuls of her athletic ass, his icy touch creating a wonderful contrast with her eager warmth. Emily slowly and passionately pulled herself up his not-so-crooked cock before sliding down it again, feeling his cold, veiny length rub against her sensitive walls. A lustful cry escaped her lips from the multiple sensations. The Outsider had little expression on his face as usual save for an amused, almost fond smirk, as if he gained more satisfaction from witnessing his second-favorite Marked in such a state than actually being ridden by the empress. That was probably the case in all honesty. Were she not currently being dicked by a god, Emily would likely have considered just how fascinating the Outsider’s thought process is. However, she was, so the only thoughts filling her head at the moment were ones of how amazing it felt to be impaling herself on him. 

Chilled fingers grooved along her ample rear, making her shudder slightly. The Outsider’s surprisingly thick cock was splitting her minge with easy, her slick folds and flaring clit embracing him with heat and liquids. Emily roughly grabbed her tits once more, groping them with more ferocity than a prisoner seeing a woman for the first time in years as she pinched her sensitive nipples between her middle and index fingers and panted in growing anticipation. “Oooooh! By the Void, fuCK ME! CLAIM YOUR EMPRESS! YES! DON’T STOP! PLEASE, I’M SO CLOOOOSE!” Kaldwin howled out in pure bliss as she came. Her toes curled while her clit flared, the royal’s face contorting in pleasure while pussyjuice flowed freely from her. She collapsed onto him while her fanny clamped down around his cock and drowned it in her arousal and pleasure. Emily yelled into his chest while he began thrusting into her, drawing out the imperial climax.

When she finally managed to recover, she let out a content sigh. “That was excellent. Thank you,” She said genuinely, a small smile coming to her lips.

“We aren't finished here,” He replied. A surprised yelp sounded from the superpowered slut as her partner suddenly rose up, grabbing her arms before she could fall and holding her in place as he held his rod at her entrance and waited. Despite her surprise, she shook her head after a moment of consideration.

“Not in the slightest,” Came her reply, and with that he began railing her. Her slow but hard drags were replaced by his quick and shallow thrusts, small and erratic bursts of wonderful stimulation that ravaged her mercilessly. It wasn't her preferred style, usually even finding it unsatisfying, but she found herself frozen under his dark gaze and unable to do anything but shudder and mew as he took her. It was a maddening sensation, dangerously alluring to just give in to those eyes and become his for good. Part of her was conscious enough to refute the addictive thrill of his attention, but what satisfaction she allowed herself from it was like her first time smoking white leaf; an enjoyable but otherwise unnotable experience becoming incredible because she wasn't supposed to want it. Her snatch was an oven as she continued to be filled by him, pushing herself as far deep into him as she could. She still had a decent way to her second orgasm, but it was still than anything she had ever expected.  _ “I’m not sure I’ve ever actually had it better with a man,”  _ Kaldwin thought.

“If I recall correctly, this is your favorite form of ‘diplomacy' with Durand,” He taunted, a smug expression adorning his face while he plundered the promiscuous pacifist, making her glare at him.

“I don’t recall ever-oh~! Inviting you to watch my evenings,” She derided even as he was balls deep in her. Perhaps the scolding would seem more threatening if she wasn’t blushing and having her tits softly bounce slightly with each thrust of his.

“As if we don’t both know you enjoy the idea.” He shot back, the empress’ face growing a tinge more red as she glanced away.

“That’s beside the poi-ah!” She yelled as he suddenly pulled her towards him and disappeared in a burst of black, only to feel a hand grip her shoulder and butt, fondling her shapely rear as he thrust back into her from a new angle. She cursed under her breath, hating the fact that she absolutely fucking loved that, and especially that she knew  _ he  _ knew she just discovered a new kink of hers. Her annoyance was quickly replaced by pleasureful lust as he gently nibbled her ear and squeezed her neck at one of her pressure points, drawing a lewd and guttural sound of approval. His right hand continued to squeeze and slap her rump while his left massaged the nape of her neck, making her last few defenses fall apart. With a few more thrusts, slaps,and grabs, she screamed out into the Void and climaxed. 

Her eyes rolled as her cunt shuddered and spasmed, Emily's affection dousing her partner’s cock as she cried out in euphoria. Her hands grasped desperately at him to pull herself further onto his length, each slight rub of him inside her like an orgasmic firecracker to her. The fruit of his efforts was squirting out of her relentlessly, painting him and the recreated throne room floor in her ecstasy. The shameless swordswoman came over and over again until she finally arrived at the end of her climax.  A lewd open-mouthed smile came to her face when she couldn’t manage to scream or moan anymore, just letting her pussy dribble out the last of her bliss in silent ecstasy. Of course, that’s not to say her partner had stopped ravaging her, slamming into her mercilessly with increasingly deep thrusts.

With one final thrust all the way in and a groan from him, white-hot jizz flooded her womb and sex. Emily's eyes shot wide open in fear, the sensation sobering her from the post-orgasm haze and his influence as she looked at him in absolute panic. “Fuck! I don’t have a bone charm! I didn’t think you would- am I-”

“No, you aren’t going to bear a child from this. Calm, your majesty,” He said, almost managing to sound sincere in his concern. Though still caught off guard, Emily felt the panic fade into annoyance.

“I better not. You should have warned me! Or at least pulled out,” She grumpily replied, pulling herself off of him. The Outsider’s head tilted slightly in curiosity.

“I assumed it wasn’t necessary.” He explained in his usual monotone, making Emily glower.

“Do you know what would happen if I turned up pregnant without a father?!” She huffed, crossing her arms out of habit. She let her gaze soften as she explained herself. “I need to expect it so that I don’t subject my child to the same treatment I have. I won’t let them be called a bastard all their life like I am.”

The two remained silent for a time, Emily gathering her sleepwear and the Outsider gazing out into the endless grey skies. As the empress finished dressing, she turned to him. “Did it work?”

The leviathan nodded. “You cannot sense it in the Void, but yes. You will see. Farewell, Emily. I’ll be watching,” He announced as the world faded to white moments before she woke up.

***

Emily could feel a difference the moment she opened her eyes. Her Mark felt… odd. Almost like when it was brand new. The rune she’d placed at her simple shrine, merely a bit of purple cloth and some twigs, had disappeared.  _ “Perhaps I have a new power,” _ She thought to herself, standing up. Concentrating, she could hear what almost sounded like wind, the subtle intensity she had become familiar with over her hundreds of runs through the city. She waved her hand and suddenly all of the papers and books in front of her were tossed in the air, whatever didn’t strike a wall soon raining down on the room. Emily’s eyes widened, looking at the mess she’d accidently made.  _ “Bloody- ugh. Well, it isn’t going to fix itself,”  _ She mentally pouted, the empress summoning Drexel to help put everything back into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't super big on this chapter, but after two months, I tried giving it in the best form I had. I hope you all enjoyed at least, and if you did or didn't, leave a comment so I can improve.


	21. Changing of the Guard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Corvo resigns from his station Royal Protector, Alexi gets a promotion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Incredibly last minute, but I managed to hit my once a month deadline!

Emily had been on the receiving end of several surprises over the last few months. The coup, discovering magic, time travel, finding a new love in someone who’s once been such a dangerous enemy, but almost all of it pales in comparison to the shock she felt as she read Corvo's letter of resignation.

“‘Gross failure to fulfill my duty’? Father, Delilah was  _ immortal _ . Nobody could have stopped her! It’s hardly your fault,” Emily pleaded, Attano’s stoic face being betrayed by the regret in his eyes as he shook his head.

“I could have if I focused on being either the Spymaster or the Royal Protector instead of juggling both and succeeding at neither. I pressured you into merging the positions and it almost got you killed, Emily.” He rumbled, gently cupping her cheek in his hand. “Magic or not, the blame rests on me. I can’t let something like this happen again.”

Kaldwin glanced between his eyes and the letter, the man’s formal writing still charmingly chicken scratch compared to the usual inhuman neatness that often reached her desk. However, the content within was far less comforting than her father’s attempts at cursive. Corvo was well aware of his age, whether it be her playful jabs or the notably less playful comments from her court, there practically wasn’t a day someone didn’t point out how unusual it was for a 55 year old to be the Royal Protector. Unsurprisingly, this was one of his several reasons for relinquishing his position. 

Emily wanted to refuse it just on principle. 

The more she read through it again and again, the more the logical part of her brain could find no fault or error with anything in his letter and she absolutely hated herself for that. After what must have been her fifth time reading through it, she resisted the urge to simply tear it to shreds and instead gently set it down on her desk, taking a breath before speaking. “As your daughter, I think you are making a horrible mistake,” She said as she looked at his hazel eyes. “However… as your empress, I am willing to abide your resignation from the role of Royal Protector IF you continue your duties as Spymaster.”

Corvo nodded in agreement. Emily held her pen to her confirmation signature, hesitating a moment. She felt his calloused hand hold her shoulder reassuringly, and with that she finally wrote her name. “This is for the best. I promise,” Her father whispered, yet uncertainty still filled Kaldwin’s mind.

“I hope you’re right. Very well,” She stated reservedly as she stood up from her desk. Emily walked out the door with Corvo close behind as she ordered, “Send Captain Mayhew out to meet us in the gazebo. I request her presence immediately.”

**Two Weeks Later**

Royal Protector Mayhew fiddled with her coat, straightening out the deep blue fabric in a vain attempt to feel less out of place. Everything about the uniform was custom tailored for her, yet she couldn’t help but feel discomfort in the iconic blue and yellow-trimmed overcoat and shirt as she announced, “This doesn’t feel right.”

“You fit it the more you wear it,” A deep voice rumbled. Alexi turned to face the man currently staring out at the tower’s foyer through the window.

“I didn’t mean the clothes, Corvo.” She replied, folding her hands behind her back and walking beside him. The woman could see his small smile out of the corner of her eye.

“Neither did I,” Attano said plainly as he faced her. “I know you have your doubts, but there’s no one else I’d rather have by her side. You’re as skilled with a sword as I am and twice as fast.”

Alexi frowned, looking him in the eye. “It’s not my skills I’m concerned about. You couldn't fight Delilah, true, but that doesn’t mean you should resign. How could anybody have anticipated her?” The newly appointed Royal Protector questioned, drawing a humorless chuckle from her predecessor.

“Emily grilled me on that from the day I handed her my resignation. She might blame herself, but she wasn’t the one with spies in every corner of the empire,” He gruffed out, reaching to his belt and holding the hilt of his signature sword in offering. “For what it’s worth, Emily agrees with you. The only reason she’s going along with it at all is because you were my first and only choice.”

The former captain of the guard gazed upon the notorious weapon, a small, fleeting sense of dejavu shooting through her and passing almost immediately afterward. Her hair stood on end for reasons she didn’t quite understand before she dismissed it. She was a guardswoman and now the Royal Protector, there was no reason to be afraid of something as simple as a sword hilt. She slowly took it in both hands, holding it reverently.

“If you are absolutely certain, I will give everything I have for her.” The Morlish swordfighter promised. Her mentor put a hand on her shoulder and bowed his head in respect.

“I am, and I know.” He announced with the slightest hint of pride seeping into his tone. After a moment, Alexi lowered the weapon and latched it to her belt. 

“Thank you, Lord Attano,” She said humbly, giving a small bow. Just as the two were about to leave the room, a small laugh escaped her lips. “I doubt the aristocracy will be nearly as content to have the Royal Protector be a foreign-born commoner twice in a row as Emily is,” She noted with some amusement.  A smirk came to the empress’ father.

“Scandalous, to be sure. Like mother like daughter.” He mused fondly as he opened the door. The bright yellow lights of the tower filled the Royal Protector’s previously dim chambers, almost blinding compared to how Corvo kept the office. The muffled conversations and movement of guests was audible throughout the building, hundreds of people hoping to catch a glimpse of the empress’ new bodyguard.

The walk to the elevator and subsequent ride up felt abnormally long, the  _ ding _ of the elevator bell slightly startling her when it broke the pin-drop silence.

The doors opened to a flurry of guardsmen making last minute security checks and trying to organize the rapidly filling rooms of the palace. The freezing air of Dunwall provided a complete contrast to the heated halls, almost like breathing ice. The muffled hum of violins softly played from underneath the grand door along with laughing and indistinct whispering of guests. Alexi stiffened slightly, blinking as the familiarity of the scene caught up with her. She should have been watching the servants and guards like a hawk, not staring on with glazed eyes while she was lost in her thoughts! If something were to happen because she overlooked a threat-

Mayhew took a breath.  _ “Panicking won’t get me anywhere. With whatever power Emily has, she’ll see anything coming.” _

“You alright, cap? Or is it Lady Mayhew these days?” Jameson Curnow teased lightly, drawing her from her musing. Alexi rolled her eyes at her second in command even as a smile tugged at her lips. James had been by her side since she signed up for the guard. His usually scruffy hair had been combed into a mildly more reasonable shape while his goatee had been slightly trimmed. It was odd to see him in the signature authoritative red of a commanding officer instead of his usual faded blue coat, but his jokey personality more than balanced out his semi-respectable appearance, though that’s not to say he was incompetent.

“Depends on if you want your job, captain. Assuming you do, let’s get to the point. Are the security preparations in place?”

“All of them and more. Four in ten members of the crowd are undercover, there’s at least five guards stationed at each entrance, and between us I’m pretty sure Emily has a knife hidden in her boot,” The captain of the guard informed her. He shrugged before adding, “Oh, and also being one of the three best swordfighters in the empire and having the other two watching her back. The Outsider himself wouldn’t try showing up here!”

“Let’s hope so. Are you ready, Alexi?” Corvo asked. She nodded, adjusting her coat one last time before slipping into a more formal attitude. “Very well. Open the doors, James.”

Curnow gave a wordless nod and moved to open the door. The heavy oak swung open with a groan from the hinges as he shouted, “Attention! Introducing Royal Spymaster Corvo Attano and Captain Alexi Mayhew, make way!”. Aristocrats and commoners alike hurriedly scrambled out of their path. Past the crowd awaited the empress, and in that moment Alexi found her breath stolen away.

Emily had a way of always appearing majestic, but the empress seemed especially eye-catching at the moment. Beneath her almost ever-present midnight purple coat was one of her mother’s suits, the hallowed garment a clear indication the importance the ceremony held to her. The empress’ raven black hair flowed freely and gracefully to her shoulders. One might mistake Emily for Jessamine if they didn’t know better.

A more subtle difference was the ornate cane resting against the throne. Three feet of finely carved redwood topped with a golden handle embroiled with rubies, Emily had been gifted it by the Queen of Morley soon after reclaiming the throne as a sign of goodwill with the side benefit of helping with her then-broken leg. Emily hadn’t carried it for months since recovering, yet here it was.  _ “Perhaps it’s just for the occasion?” _

The empress’ face was frozen in a look of pure stoicism, but her eyes glowed with admiration as Kaldwin gazed upon the Morley-born swordfighter. The empress-consort didn’t bother hiding her approval, Wyman giving her fellow countrywoman a wide grin. The gaggle of citizens and subjects went silent in an instant as Alexi and Corvo began approaching the throne. The royal protectors took a knee before monarchs, Alexi holding the hilt of the blade out for Emily. Kaldwin rose up and delicately took the blade she’d used for so long, briefly admiring the weapon before activating it, flipping the sword with ease and grabbing it midair.

“Lord Corvo Attano,” Emily regally began. “Do you give your blessing and endorsement to Captain Mayhew?”

Corvo bowed his head. “On my life.”

Emily turned back to the woman kneeling before her. “Captain Alexi Mayhew, do you solemnly swear to live for, kill for, and die for the Empire?”

“I do.”

“Do you swear to forever pursue the best interests of the Empire, the empress and her people?”

“I do.”

“Do you swear to bring honor to your station as Royal Protector, the Empire, and her people?”

“I do.”

The shining steel let off a quiet whistle as Emily gracefully twirled it in her hand and gently tapped Mayhew’s right shoulder followed by her left. Kaldwin lifted the blade and held it out in offering, saying, “Then it is my great honor to bestow upon you the title of Royal Protector. Presenting Lady Alexi Mayhew!”

The room erupted into applause and cheering, Mayhew trying her best not to look as embarrassed as she felt. She was used to cheering crowds when they called for Emily or Attano, but having her name called out with such fervor was jarring to say the least. The new Royal Protector accepted the blade and sheathed it. The commotion came to an end after a minute or so and guards began showing people out of the throne room. Once the last of the stragglers had gone, Emily allowed her mask to fall, looking a bit bashful. “I still think the speech was a bit much. The nobles wouldn’t have it any other way, unfortunately.”

A chuckle rumbles out of Corvo. “Perhaps, but I’ve always taken it to heart. Jessamine liked how dramatic it was, so that might be it. Regardless, a toast is in order for Alexi!”

With every hour the four of them drank and spoke, the more secure Alexi started to feel in her new position. Perhaps she could get used to spending nearly every hour everyday with her best friend and idol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this felt rushed, I apologize. I've been having a busy last few months, so I tend to either take way too damn long on chapters or rush them. I'll try to correct this. Still, I did find a nice bit of motivation to start writing Dishonored again, so hopefully I can get chapters of better quality out more consistently.


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